TLOS: Malefor's Legacy
by The1upguy
Summary: After 10 years of peace and prosperity, the former Dark Master, and King of the Dragon Realms, is suddenly confronted with a haunting dream about his wife, killed long ago by his own Dark paw. -Sequel to TLOS: Sparx the Dragon- Rated T for violent content. I will keep the swearing to a minimum.
1. Another Nightmare

**First and foremost welcome to the sequel of my first story _TLOS: Sparx the Dragon_. If you have not read that story yet, I would suggest doing so, or this will make no sense.**

**Secondly, I do not own Spyro, any characters in the Legend of Spyro, or the Skylanders...which I use only as a clever name for the armed forces of the Dragon Realms. **

**Thirdly, some will recognize this story from a crossover I tried earlier and failed miserably at. I assure you, the content has been changed to reflect a huge difference in storylines, so please read again, you will definitely see a difference.**

* * *

**TLOS: Malefor's Legacy**

Chapter One Another Nightmare

In the distant worlds of the Outer Realms, a new shipment of supplies is brought to the only outpost on a small moon orbiting Conderoga. Bosco, the large shopkeeper, quickly begins filling the shelves of his general store, waiting for his first customer to enter. The owner of this shop is a very large and furry creature, like a brown bear, and resembles many of the lifeforms in the Conderoga system. However, unlike his fellow citizens, he does not express the same feelings towards other lifeforms, one's that call this small moon their home. Outcasts from the main system, a diverse group of humanoid, reptilian, and ape-like creatures keep to themselves on this tiny moon, and have no issues with the fuzzy shopkeeper, as they see him as an outcast himself.

"Bosco!" A very jovial ape remarks over the bell from the front door. He strides up to the counter, and extends his long arm out for a strong shake from his good friend.

"How's everything in the world of dry goods."

The large brown and black-haired beast smiles, taking his friend's hand gently, so not to break it with his powerful grip.

"Business has never been better..." He replies, however his eyes suddenly focus forward, and an uneasy look fills his gaze. "...however, that might change quickly."

The doors suddenly blast open with a powerful shove, and a long thin light-blue dragoness strides inside. The anger marks dug deep into her face keeps Bosco uneasy, however he quickly sees fear in the lavender eyes of one of two dragons living on Conderoga's moon. The only other, being this angry dragoness' young daughter, and Bosco's best friend.

"Danielle, are you OK?" The large bear calls out, stepping out from behind his counter to meet her halfway. "What's the matter?"

"I think Mya ran away." She replies with worry in her voice, and the ape standing by the counter begins to laugh.

"Maybe you should have kept her on a leash." He remarks snidely, showing no concern for the single-mother's loss.

"After all, dragons are nothing but simple-minded beasts and should be chained up."

Danielle grits her teeth, and stands up on her hind legs, however, with her massive size and height, she slams the roof with her white horns and falls back upon her front paws.

"See." The ape continues laughing, as Danielle grasps her head in pain. "Your kind can't even stand upright...proving that you, and that worthless offspring of yours, are nothing but uncivilized animals."

The blue dragoness grunts in anger again, but inside the pain of his torments hurt, as this is the reason she believes her daughter ran away.

She would like nothing more than to leave the Conderoga system herself, as everyone believes much like this ape does, but she has come to find this world is a very good place to hide her family. However, one person on this small obscure rock has respect for the two dragons, and his voice speaks up for the customer that keeps him in business.

"ENOUGH...You callus monkey!" Bosco barks back at his friend, showing the ape-like creature great anger with his eyes. "This dragon, and her daughter are two of the finest beings I've ever come to know."

The large black and brown bear places his massive paw upon Danielle's side, and stares into her eyes with determination.

"And I sure as heck would never be able to stay here if it was not for them."

Danielle shows a bit of surprise, as Bosco speaks up, and criticizes a philosophy that is shared by most of the population of this small moon.

"You should thank her for being here...or else you would have nowhere to buy your bananas."

"Fine Bosco!" His friend barks with pompousness in his voice, hearing a taunting tone from the large shopkeeper. He quickly turns to the door he came in from, and raises his nose in the air away from the thin blue dragon.

"I guess I will come back later...when your done with this filthy creature."

"What a jerk." The old bear remarks, as the doors closes behind the smug simian, and Danielle lowers her head with depression.

"Why do they all hate us?" She says under her breath, and Bosco turns his attention back to a now distraught dragoness. "My daughter and I only want to live quietly in peace..."

Danielle's eyes focus upon the large shopkeeper, expressing pure defeat.

"...but this place is killing her, Bosco."

The worried mother lies on her haunches, no longer able to hold her weight up.

"She told me she hated me." Danielle pauses as the tears build in her bluish-purple eyes. "She told me she wanted to find a new home, even if it meant leaving her mother."

Bosco's eyes show fear as well. He quickly informs her of a chance meeting they had the day before, and an idea that may have been put into her head by him.

"She was here yesterday, Danielle!" Bosco remarks, now recalling the moment in his memory to her in perfect detail. "Mya asked how she could get to the Dragon Realms."

"What!" The blue and white chested dragoness barks with shock, not understanding how Mya would even know about their former home from centuries ago.

"The Dragon Realms no longer exist...they were destroyed ages ago."

"No Danielle..." Bosco suddenly shows a weird smile, then points his finger at a simple poster upon his bulletin board.

"...they do exist!"

The words...THE DRAGON GAMES...takes her attention, and Danielle strides closer.

"Presented by the Guardians of Avalar..." her voice calls out, reading the remaining notice. "...the strongest and fastest dragons shall claim their place in history...WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?"

"I was as surprised as you when I saw it in one of my shipments last week." The old bear remarks showing Danielle a smile. "I figured if the world saw the dragon race was still thriving, maybe you and Mya would not be thought of as..."

The shopkeeper is cut off abruptly, as Danielle rips the poster from the board, and shreds it with her talons.

"They are Gone!" She barks, looking down at the ground with a sudden depression. "I know they are."

The blue dragoness begins to cry, recalling her father's story, one he made her remember vividly.

"_My ancestor destroyed the entire realm"_ She recalls to herself, feeling the pain her father's soul would give off every time he spoke of their family's evil legecy.

"He killed everyone."

"What?" Bosco asks, hearing the blue dragoness' last thought, as it was said out loud.

"Nothing!" Danielle replies with a very shaky voice, then suddenly her eyes return their focus to him.

"Where did you send my Daughter?"

Bosco balks for a moment, hearing the accusing tone in the blue dragon's voice.

"I sent her HOME Danielle." He answers with anger. "How could you possibly think I would tell her to go anywhere but..."

Suddenly Bosco stops talking, and his eyes lose all focus.

"Oh no..." He says, and Danielle can see the fear begin to overtake the large bear's face. She herself becomes worried with his lengthening pause and pushes him to finish his thought.

"Well? What is it?" She forces, and Bosco returns his eyes to her, recalling a faint image in his memory from yesterday.

"Lord Cypher..." He says, then looks towards the door where he was standing.

"...he was here in the town yesterday, and might have overheard Mya and myself talking about the Dragon Realms."

"Isn't he that ruthless Space Pirate from Garron Prime!" Danielle replies with pure terror in her voice, knowing he can sell anything he steals, especially a very profitable creature like a dragon.

Bosco nods his head, and walks behind the counter of his shop.

"We need to go find Mya now, Danielle." The Shopkeeper remarks, grasping his trusted shotgun from under the register, and cocking it once to load a fresh shell.

"I'll be damned if he thinks he can just take one of my friends."

* * *

Deep in space, an adolescent red dragon lays motionless, held inside the cargo hold of a small ship. With her paws bound in stone against her darker colored chest, and boxed in a small cage just larger than her body, this young two-toned red dragoness cannot move a single muscle.

"Help." She tries yelling for the hundredth time, but the rock tightly holding her mouth shut keeps her voice and magic inside.

The young dragoness stares out a window directly before her, and squints as sunshine begins to pour into the room. The countless stars she saw moving by at great speed are no longer visible, as the ship lowers into the atmosphere of another planet. A deep depression fills her heart, not truly knowing how far she has been taken from her home...and from her mother.

"I'm sorry Mom." She says muffled through the tight muzzle, as tears pour from her eyes once more. "I never meant for this to happen."

Mya recalls the last moment with her mother, and the heated argument that ended it. She told her she would never see her again, and at this moment, the young daughter is so fearful that this threat may have just come true. She saw the poster in the General Shop, and begged her mother to leave the hellish place she picked to spend their lives.

"I just wanted to get away from them." She cries, now wishing for nothing more than to be scolded by everyone on her walk home.

"Aww, you poor thing..." A voice barks from behind, and the young dragoness can feel her left horn suddenly yanked up through the cage above. "...I thought you wanted to find the Dragon Realms?"

Mya, forced to stare into the eyes of the one who kidnapped her, begins trembling with fear, awaiting another beating from her new master.

"You said you would do anything to get here." He says tauntingly, knowing how he tricked her to step aboard his ship, and laughs seeing the terror in her dark reddish-purple eyes.

Lord Cypher slams the young dragon's muzzle back to the ground, and pulls the cage over to a darker area away from the window.

"I just didn't say for how long you would stay in these realms."

The large bear-like creature opens the front of Mya's cage, and drags her out by the left horn. She squirms with the pain of being handled by a tender spot, and her whimpers enrage the Space Pirate further.

"SHUT UP!" He barks, kicking the young dragoness in the ribs, and making her yelp with a more intense pain.

"You better not make a sound during the auction." The large creature reaches down, placing a paw on her throat and staring into her tear-filled eyes. "Trust me. I will be much more brutal to you if I have to leave before I sell all of my goods, so you better be quiet."

The large grizzly grasps the black wings of his captive and binds them together with a leather harness, so they cannot move an inch. He then places a large paw on the bridge of Mya's nose, holding her face to the ground, and rests the remainder of his weight on her back. He reaches over to the wall, removing a steel bridle with a mouth bit made of purple crystal, then rips the stone muzzle from the young dragon's mouth. It painfully cuts across the thin scales of her nose and jaw, and Mya yelps again. The powerful Grizzly uses this moment to force the dark gem into her opened mouth, and slides the bridle over her face, anchoring it tightly to her horns.

"This will make sure you stay silent, and remain still while I'm here in Avalar." He remarks, then returns his prize to her cage. The large bear-like creature stands back to his feet, and shows a very snide smile to the naive red dragon he tricked into coming with him.

"I don't want anyone hearing you cry for your mommy all day. I could get in trouble for holding a dragon prisoner on the Dragon home world."

Mya bucks her bound frame inside the cage, trying desperately to break the stronger bindings now holding her down, however, the large pirate places his massive paw through the steel bars, and grasps the back of her neck.

"Stop trying to hurt yourself, you're only taking away from my fun later." He says coldly, reaching into a small pouch on his coat of armor, and removing the same small needle he poked her with before. He forces the syringe into a gap between her scales, dosing the red dragoness with another shot of powerful tranquilizers.

Mya's eyes quickly glaze over, and Lord Cypher laughs as she slowly passes out again. "I hope you enjoy your visit to the Dragon Realms young one..." He remarks, looking out the window, and seeing the two suns of Avalar shining on the blue ocean below.

"...because you will never see them again after today."

* * *

In the great Dragon's Palace situated in the center of New Warfang, the largest city on Avalar, the King feels a sensation in his heart he has felt for the last few nights. Strong memories begin filling his dreams, turning them to dark nightmares he has not faced in eons.

"_Aerial...NOOOOooooo!"_ He cries in his sleep, seeing the wife he lost in his first life, but feeling her soul as if it is beside his own.

"_I'm so sorry..."_ Malefor continues, rustling around upon his cushions, fighting with the struggle inside his head. He watches his Dark Power overwhelm her again, and then the site that has haunted an immortal dragon for millions of years, as her body lies dead before the rookery.

"_...I couldn't stop myself from doing this to you...or to our child." _

Suddenly his eyes open wide within his dream, as this familiar nightmare changes, and Aerial rises to her feet. Her heart begins pounding in his ears, and the sound quickly syncs up with his own pulse. He stares in shock seeing this image of his wife rise up after the Dark Elemental attack that left her lifeless in every other nightmare he's had, including the day he did this in real life.

Never in the four million years he spent in a hellish prison has this frequent nightmare changed, nor has it consumed his emotions so strongly. Malefor's body begins thrashing around upon his sleeping cushions, as the dragon he was married to for seventeen years, shows her husband a familiar smile within a strong dream.

The tall thin blue and white wind dragoness reaches out to Malefor's muzzle, placing a gentle paw upon her husband's cheek, and looks towards the heavens.

"_Our family is coming home, my love." _

"WHAT!"

"Malefor...Are you alright?" A voice calls out inside the King's sleeping chamber, and Malefor's eyes quickly open with shock, starring upon the only dragon that knew him before his ordeal with the Dark Master, along with the wife he was forced to attack.

"Diamond! What are you doing in here?" He replies, seeing the pure white dragon sitting several yards away from his bed, waiting for his immortal friend to wake from this powerful nightmare.

"I couldn't sleep...especially feeling this struggle in your heart again." The Spirit dragon remarks, almost as if he is annoyed about not getting his rest for the night.

"You appear to have something on your mind these last few days Malefor, and it is starting to affect my sleep, so I'm not leaving until you tell me what's troubling you."

The large purple and gold dragon gives his former mentor a wry smirk, knowing how blunt the old Spirit Elder can be, and quickly repositions himself to sit before the Spiritually powerful albino dragon.

"I am seeing my wife's death replaying over and over in my dreams Diamond." He says with no delay, expressing the pain of the moment that just passed though his heart in a strong vision.

"I can feel her soul surrounding me, her eyes burning through me, and the touch of her paw upon my cheek." He says grasping his jaw, and looking up to the heavens as she did. "And then I felt something else, something I couldn't explain until now."

Diamond can see his aura brighten in color, and reaches out to his old friend.

"Show me this emotion you're feeling my old friend." The Great Elder says, placing his paw upon Malefor's gold chest, and hearing his thoughts as if they were his own.

"_I can sense a great deal of pride inside of you Malefor."_ The old dragon remarks quickly in thought, and the larger dragon nods his head with agreement. He quickly helps the old dragon to focus, by thinking of this dream.

"_You feel your family is returning?"_

Diamond suddenly removes his paw, as this single thought consumes Malefor, and a powerful emotion beings overwhelming him.

"That's not possible!" The white dragon remarks aloud, looking up to his friend with his sightless eyes. "You are not the blind one here Malefor...you saw what happened twenty-two hundred years ago, so there is no way that idea is even feasible."

"WHY NOT?" The large purple dragon replies with anger, standing upon his feet and striding around to release his nervous energy.

"My egg was close to hatching the day the Dark Master attacked...It might not have been inside the Rookery when I brought it down Diamond."

The Spirit dragon shows concern, as Malefor begins explaining more of his feelings, and why he may be having these odd Nightmares for the last three days.

"I have seen this kind of reaction in Spyro a hundred times, when Sparx returns to Avalar from a Skylander mission, but I never feel anything!" Malefor continues, looking up at a portrait of the youngster both purple dragons call their son.

"He can actually tell when his boys are getting close to him, feeling the same pulse that beats in his own chest."

"And you believe you are feeling this sensation now?"

Malefor snaps his head down to his old Mentor, showing the look of the unknown in his eyes.

"How can you say I'm not feeling this Diamond? I have never experienced it before, but Spyro has told me he can feel the beat of his son's heart when he is close by, and this is what I am feeling now."

The white dragon shows a bit of a frown, then places his paw upon Malefor's chest again. It takes a second for the Spirit dragon to get over the thought, but he quickly feels the second pulse in Malefor's soul

"By the ancestors!" He says with a deep shock in his voice, then looks up at his old friend with a snide smirk.

"You haven't...ahh..."

"NO!" Malefor replies quickly, hearing the Great Elder's thoughts, and the idea that he has gotten 'busy' in the last ten years.

"Then I am at a loss my old friend, and I think we need to investigate this more."

"How in the name of the Ancestors are we going to investigate a dream you old crack pot?"

His voice is more sarcastic than insulting, and Diamond just shows a smug grin to his old friend from a lifetime ago.

"Crack pot, huh..." He remarks, slowly striding to the balcony of King Malefor's sleeping chamber, and staring out upon the world with his sightless eyes.

Light-pink in color, and able to pick up the Spirit of everything around him, the old dragon sees more than most. His eyes open wide with the rainbow of color from the population of the great city below, however, they quickly refocus far across the horizon.

"...well, this Old Crack-Pot knows the energy you felt is not a dream, cause I can see it pulsing across the ocean to the South!"

"WHAT!" Malefor yelps with surprise, quickly joining his friend at the ledge of his private lookout.

"Then let's get going!"

"Easy old friend." Diamond remarks, placing a calming paw against Malefor's side, giving him a small dose of his power to settle his swirling aura. "We will get there soon enough, but first we must inform a Guardian before you leave the city."

"Darn laws...I almost forgot." Malefor replies, knowing he is not to leave the city unless the Elder Guardian is made aware and placed in charge.

"Nightshade!" Diamond barks out, and a few seconds go by before a black and gray dragon appears at the entrance of the royal sleeping chamber. A very angered look is upon his face, and his crystal green eyes focus upon the one he is charged to guard with his life.

"Seriously Master...I am getting tired of you just walking off while I sleep." He remarks with a tone of agitation in his voice, as the near weightless Spirit Dragon treads very lightly upon his feet, even as old as he is. "How can I guard a dragon that decides to just stroll around without my knowledge?"

"I don't think I am in danger standing beside the King of the Dragon Realms, Nightshade." The old albino replies, and rolls his eyes before Malefor, getting the tense purple dragon to loosen up further with his facial expression.

Diamond quickly gestures the shadow dragon inside the royal sleeping chamber, and Nightshade steps lightly upon the marble floor with respect to where he is. The black dragon crosses the room, then rears up on his hind legs, reaches his front paws out to grasp the top of his wings, and genuflects before large purple and gold dragon.

"I apologize for entering your private chambers, Great King, and I meant no disrespect when I insinuated that your Highness could not protect my Master's life."

Malefor quickly rolls his eyes, and Diamond begins laughing immediately.

The King hates when anyone refers to him as royalty, seeing himself only as Avalar's unified voice and nothing more. The purple dragon made this a law during his first reign, and is the only law he kept from before the war.

"You know how much that bothers me when you do that Nightshade." He remarks, as the smug look upon the bowing Shadow Master consumes him with the arrogance of this sarcastic, but very powerful dragon. "If you want Diamond to look for a new valet...just keep that smug grin upon your face."

"Why? Do you think you can remove it, My Liège!" Nightshade replies tauntingly, returning to a normal stance before the larger purple dragon, and showing no real worry at this dare.

"I will take that challenge some other time my friend." Malefor replies, then shows a student of his a very concerned set of eyes. "But right now, we have something more important to tend to."

Nightshade can see the seriousness in Malefor's eyes, as he is one of three dragons studying with the King, and quickly he stands at attention.

"Sorry Malefor, I didn't mean anything by that...what do you need of me?" He says with a more stable voice, and looks up at his good friend with sharp alertness.

"Your Master will be needing a ride, but first you have to drag Volteer out of bed, and bring him to the Dragon's Palace."

Nightshade rolls his eyes, and slump his shoulders, knowing what a pain the butt task he has just been given.

"I'd rather have you try to remove my grin...Your Highness!"

* * *

In the harbor town of Dragoon Bay, three dragons walk side by side through the Main Square. Drawing the attention of everyone in Avalar's largest port city, the trio makes slow progress towards the transport ship awaiting them at the dock.

"Come on Dad..." The youngest dragon cries out, looking up at his father and showing a very annoyed grimace.

"...If we stop to take pictures with everyone, we will miss our ship!"

Spyro looks down at his youngest son and shows a simple smile, before returning his eyes to the cameras in front of them. Several flashes blind the young dragon for a moment and he rubs his eyes.

"I mean it's not like you don't come here every month or so." Malefor barks out loud, trying to cover his eyes as the tourist keep taking his father's picture.

"You can get fifty more then!"

The purple and gold hero laughs, along with the white dragoness by his side.

"I wanted to thank you and Cynder for coming to visit my home city Master Spyro." Crystal remarks, joyful to be in Dragoon Bay herself. The Light Guardian is only allowed to leave New Warfang on diplomatic missions, or when the Guardian Master decides to take a friend to see her family.

"My mom was thrilled to see me walk in the front door."

"Not a problem Crystal." Spyro replies, acting as if this was nothing, but knowing the life of a Guardian is quite lonely, especially if they live two thousand miles from New Warfang. "I needed to buy a few things for the upcoming Dragon Games, and I heard Dragoon Bay is the best place to make a good deal, especially with the new space por..."

"BY THE ANCESTOR'S...IT SPYRO!" A young voice calls out, and Malefor rolls his eyes.

"Oh good...another group of hero worshipers."

Spyro rolls his eyes himself, then looks down at his son.

"We will get home in time for your tenth birthday Malefor! I promise you, even if I have to fly us over the ocean myself!" The purple dragon barks with an authoritative tone, and his son straightens up, realizing he is acting like a fool.

"Sorry dad..." Malefor remarks, lowering his head in shame, seeing the frustration in his father's eyes. "...I'll be quiet."

Spyro quickly rubs his son's horns, making him know he is not really angry with his anxiousness, and both turn towards a young cheetah approaching them cautiously. They can see the astonishment in his tiny eyes, looking up at both massive-sized dragons before him.

"Can I get a picture, Mr Spyro sir." He asks with caution in his voice, as he heard him barking only a moment ago, but Spyro gives the young cheetah a calming smile.

"Of course young warrior." The purple dragon replies, then looks at the slight depression still etched on Malefor's face.

"But only if my son can be in it."

The purple hero grasps his boy before he can object, lifting him up and placing him before his gold chest. In his other paw he gently hoists the small cheetah up high, placing him upon his son's back.

"Dad!" Malefor squawks, as the young cheetah grasps his gold horns, shouting with excitement with the trill of the moment

Spyro simply laughs, and lowers his head down to Malefor's ear.

"Easy son. He's just enjoying his moment...riding a dragon!" His father says softly, and Malefor quickly pictures the thoughts of this youngster. A smile fills his face, experiencing the high this young cheetah is feeling, remembering how he would hold his dad's horns at this age. Malefor suddenly turns towards the camera, pointing his brilliant smile at two startled parents and they quickly snap the picture.

"This is a pointless photo..." One cheetah remarks, smiling wide as his son continues to day-dream about flying on Malefor's back. "...I don't think my son will ever need a reminder of this moment."

The mother and father, with pure joy on their faces, help Malefor remove their child from his back.

"He has so wanted to meet you Master Spyro, but that was a pure treat for all of us."

The strong cheetah father shows a moment of emotion, then looks down slightly to the mid-sized dragon

"Thank you young Master. I know that was not a very joyful experience to have your horns pulled." he says, then turns his eyes to his son. "But my boy thinks riding upon a dragon would make him invincible."

Malefor rubs the back of his head, and shows the young cheetah an approving smile, seeing a boost in his attitude

"Well he's absolutely right!" Malefor says matter of factually, trying to get the youngster to smile again.

Spyro grins as his son plays to the young cheetah's imagination, and his heart pounds with pride.

"If you folks don't mind..." The proud papa remarks, placing a paw upon his son's head. "...I have to get my family home, and we are starting to run a little late."

The cheetah family needs no other words, quickly thanking them again, and walking off with a very happy child.

"You didn't have to do that Dad." Malefor remarks, feeling that his father shooed them away because of his anxiousness to get home.

"We have plenty of time for this!"

"No Malefor...we don't, because I need to get one more thing for a very special dragon." Spyro says, and turns his son around to look him in the eye.

Malefor stares at his dad with pride, and Spyro shows the same gaze to him, until he nods his head to the right. The young dragon glances in the direction his father gestured his muzzle, and his eyes light up with what he sees.

"The sword shop!"

"I just need to pick up my son's birthday present"

"By the Ancestor's!" Malefor yelps with joy, knowing exactly what this means, as his father saw him drooling over a very cool blade all week. However, its price was well over what the young dragon came to barter with, and his father refused to buy it.

"Are you gonna get me that sword, Dad?"

Spyro smiles, places a paw on his son's chin, and lifts it up very gently.

"NO!" He says sternly, before releasing his grip of Malefor's jaw, and strolls over to the sword shop with a loud chuckle.

Malefor balks, but quickly follows his father, believing that his old man is just messing with him like usual. However, as Spyro walks in the door and right past the displayed blade, the young dragon starts to wonder.

"Master Spyro, your timing is impeccable!" A voice calls from the rear of the store, and the purple dragon's head pops up to find where the voice came from, quickly spotting the wolf-like creature he and Cynder made prior arrangements with.

"Is it ready, Sabre?" The Hero of Avalar replies, and Malefor is quickly puzzled. He has been staring at the sword in the window of this shop all week, and never noticed his father entering the place once.

"It took some time Master Guardian, but I think you'll like the finished product." He remarks, holding a large black sheath up in his left paw, showing off the custom titanium hilt and grip.

Unique to any other in the shop, it is quickly apparent to Malefor that this is his sword, just by the three holes on its handle.

"See if it fits your paw young Master." The gray-haired old wolf remarks, lowering the special grip down to Spyro's youngest. Malefor quickly threads his talons into the three holes, then squeezes his paw into a fist gripping the handle tightly.

"Please...draw the sword young dragon, I want to make sure I got the angle on the handle correct for your grip." The proud blacksmith remarks, only wanting Malefor to remove his art work from its leather case.

The sound of the sword's metal scrapping against the mouth of the black sheath sends a chill down Malefor's spine, loving and appreciating this noise since beginning his study of sword fighting. However, it is the sight of the steel blade that sends his heart soaring with joy.

"By The Ancestors, are you kidding me!" He says with dramatic shock, standing upon his hind legs, and holding the curved three foot long blade before his eyes.

"That is truly remarkable, Sabre." Spyro, whom is not very interested in the art of swordsmanship, responds with the same amount of astonishment, seeing a blade that reminds him of his wife.

Springing straight out from the solid metal hilt and specialized handle, a stainless steel recreation of Cynder's tail blade is now being held before his purple eyes

"It took some time to get the angles just right Master Spyro, but that is a one hundred percent identical replica of the real thing."

Spyro nods his head in approval, knowing every inch of his wife's body, then looks down at his son.

"Well Malefor! Do you still want that other sword in the window?" He asks sarcastically, and the young dragon looks up at his father with awe in his eyes.

"I can have him put that handle on the other one over there if you wish!"

Malefor places the sword and sheath upon the counter, and hugs his father a tight as he can.

"I guess we'll just take this one." Spyro remarks to the shopkeeper, handing him a very large satchel of gold coins, so large that Malefor's eyes open wide.

"Oh my goodness Dad!" He says, again squeezing his father tightly. "I will pay you back for this one...I promise."

"It's a present son." The happy father replies, knowing Malefor is just shocked at the sight of this blade, and overwhelmed by a show of his dad's love. A very expensive showing of his love.

However, as his son continues to embrace his hero, Spyro's eyes focus on the blade the shopkeeper returns to its sheath. His mind suddenly changes gears, envisioning the dragoness who's body should be attached to this remarkable blade.

"I wonder what your mom is doing right now?"

* * *

Near the docks, a very special dragoness is receiving the royal treatment, as every citizen of Avalar bows to the newly appointed Spirit Elder. By no means is this thin black and scarlet red dragoness old, but over the past ten years her special power has grown stronger than Diamond's, and the old dragon was more than happy to step down as the Spirit Guardian.

Sensing only pride in the workers around her, the wife of Spyro enjoys a quiet stroll by herself, leaving her husband and son alone in the crowded square above.

"Ms. Cynder!" A voice suddenly calls from behind, forcing her to stop and turn around. Her green eyes focus upon a young adult cheetah warrior, and a smile lights up her face seeing one of the members of the group has returned.

"Stryder!" She replies to the large spotted cat, and Hunter's son quickly stops before her, showing off a new item in his paws.

"I bought this for my father." He says proudly, holding up an ornate dagger. "He said he always wanted a Dragoon Blade."

Cynder places a paw on Stryder's head, rubbing him behind the ears in a show of affection for her friend's son, then turns her attention to the knife in his paw.

"That is beautiful." She replies, staring at her reflection in the blade as it is polished to a mirror shine.

"I have never seen anything crafted like this in New War..."

Cynder suddenly stops speaking, feeling a deep emotional pain, and her green eyes focus hard upon a large space ship that just landed at the mouth of the bay. Her eyes stay locked upon this dark vessel as it slowly enters the harbor, docking alongside another large ship.

"Ms. Cynder! Is everything alright?" Stryder asks, wondering why she just stopped talking abruptly, however, the dark dragoness shakes her head, and returns her eyes to the young cheetah warrior.

"I'm not sure?" She replies with a bit of uneasiness in her voice, and suddenly feels another sensation, one that strikes her heart.

"But someone on that ship is in great emotional pain."

The dark dragoness slowly strides closer, watching intently as several pirates emerge from the steel hull and begin mooring the ship to the dock.

"I'm pretty sure that's a Space Pirate's ship, Ma'am." Stryder says confidently, having a good deal of knowledge about the inner workings of Dragoon Bay, and the diverse groups that use her port for resupplying.

"I would say most of the crew aboard that ship is depressed."

The young cheetah laughs at his own joke, however, Cynder cannot break the feeling of sudden pain to her Spirit.

"Do me a favor, Stryder..." She says, never taking her eyes from the large craft, as she is struck with deeper feelings of depression. "...find Spyro and Malefor. Let them know where I went."

"Where are you going?" He asks rhetorically, as he can see Cynder already striding towards the large space ship that just docked.

"I need to find out who that is Stryder." She replies, sensing such despair that every fiber in her soul begins burning.

"I cannot believe a Pirate would feel this depressed."

"Are you serious!" The young cheetah remarks, now showing concern as Cynder walks up to the gang plank extending down from the newest ship to enter Dragoon Bay.

"Yes!" She barks back with anger, sending a wave of fear shrieking with her voice, and Stryder stands at attention

"Now get going! Find my husband and my son, tell them to get over here quickly!"

"Yes Ma'am!" Stryder replies, leaving with great haste in his steps.

Cynder then returns her eyes to the large black ship, staring intently towards the rear cargo hold.

"_I'm here young one." _She says with her Spirit, feeling another desperate call for help burning in her soul.

"_I promise I will help you."_

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**Let me know what you think with a quick review.**

**I should be posting regularly, since this story is already half written, and promise to finish this one. I seem to have no problem writing about dragons, and hope you will follow along to the end. I think you will ****enjoy the rollercoaster of emotion I will make Malefor endure, as he discovers a legacy he never knew existed.**


	2. Lost and Found

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**Above you will see the 58 exclamation points I removed from chapter 1. I must say I am embarrassed about that.**

**I promise I will be more diligent in my proof reading, so the shouting and over excitement will hopefully end from here on out.**

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Chapter Two: Lost and Found

Inside Lord Cypher's ship, a smoke-filled room was packed to the rafters with screaming buyers, all trying to capture a treasure secured by one of the best pirates in the three systems. Hundreds of items were sold in a blaze of bids, and within only a few minutes the auction was over.

Many traders leave with angered faces, unable to get the difficult items Lord Cypher had offered. However, several wolf-like creatures stay behind, knowing they have a different business matter with the Space Pirate, and calmly wait for everyone to leave.

The Alpha wolf has a snide look upon his face, knowing he has procured more than Lord Cypher had asked of his scavenger of the Dragon World. However, the two younger wolves behind him show nervousness in their eyes and legs.

"Stop shuttering you fools...you'll make me look weak." The Alpha whispers to his men, just as the large Grizzly Bear pirate strolls up to this small pack.

"Were you able to get me any this time?" Lord Cypher remarks to the three wolves in the room, and the Alpha smiles wide with a number he has never been able to give his greatest client.

"We have six Master, and none have been dead for more than a few days."

Lord Cypher's eyes open wide, and quickly a smile fills his face

"Really! Six dragons! That will fetch a pretty penny on Raptoria." He says with a thousand yard stare, knowing they pay for a dragon's weight in gold on that planet, dead or alive.

"Get them into the cargo hold quietly." He remarks, handing over a large bundle of coins. "You don't want anyone to notice this little enterprise you have going now do you?"

"If anyone ever knew what happened to these dragons...I would be killed on the spot Lord Cypher." The Alpha wolf replies, holding the large pouch of coins before his eyes.

"Soooo...I think they are worth two thousand a piece, and there will be no further negotiations!"

In the blink of an eye, the large grizzly draws his pistol, places it directly against the Alpha wolf's nose, and cocks the hammer back.

"Well I say fifteen hundred is the most you will get from me." Lord Cypher retorts with confidence.

The lead wolf, still with the pirate's gun against his nose, shows his pearly white fangs with a wide grin, and quickly gestures his paw to the right. The other two wolves, whom quickly run off, begin loading the illegal cargo as instructed.

"I guess I can take fifteen a piece." The Alpha says smugly, and Lord Cypher drops another small bag of coins upon the steel floor.

"You had no choice with back up like them." The pirate replies with a stern gaze upon the two wolves, then looks down at the Alpha with a smirk.

"Those two would have run away scared if I did anything, so consider yourself lucky." He whispers coldly.

"The talent you have to produce dragons every time I arrive is the only reason you still live."

Meanwhile, sitting restlessly in the cargo hold, Mya struggles desperately just to breathe. Her throat is swollen from the purple gem forced into her mouth, and bound so tightly, she is unable to move around to help the flow of air into her lungs.

The sound of the auction begins dying down in her ears, and the young red dragoness suddenly feels more depression, knowing the evil pirate will be leaving the place she ask him to take her. Mya begins crying, thinking of the moment that started this, as this large bear said he knew of the Dragon Realms, and that is was possible to get there.

Without caution, she followed him inside a ship and was stuck with tranquilizer dart. Mya quickly found herself overwhelmed by the small crew five on this pirate's ship, all of them taking turns with their fists making sure she would not get up.

"_Why did I do this?"_ The fire dragon asks herself, looking around the small cargo hold, and noticing she is all that remains to be traded off.

"_I'm gonna die because I didn't listen to you Mom."_

"_Stop beating yourself up young lady...you are going to need all of your strength to get out of here."_ A voice replies, and Mya's eyes wonder around the dark room with shock, knowing she is the only thing left inside the small cargo hold.

"_Who is that?"_

Mya tries to yelp the words, but only a moan of pain comes from her gagged muzzle. However, her thoughts are clear as a bell to a Spirit Dragon.

"_I'm right here, so take it easy."_ Cynder's voice says again, and Mya becomes very spooked, still seeing nothing around her. Suddenly a gentle touch glides down her spine, and the red dragoness can feel the bindings loosened on her black wings.

"_Don't be afraid. I am only trying to help."_

Another gentle touch is applied against Mya's muzzle, quickly sensing the evil magic crystal, used to weaken a dragon's Magical Energy, lodged in her throat. The powerful purple gem begins working its evil magic upon Cynder's Spirit Power, drawing energy directly from her paw.

Mya's eyes open wide seeing a set of dark talons appear upon the bridge of her nose. She tries to buck, but Cynder holds her down with a stronger grip.

"_Please stop fighting, I have to get this off of you and away from both of us, so be very still."_

Mya suddenly feels the same energy she gets when her mother holds her tight, and a quick calmness comes over her emotions. A Spiritual connection is made between them both, and Cynder begins reading a stream of thought inside Mya's head.

"_As the Ancestors be my witness...I will take you from this place, but you have to trust me…MYA."_

The young girl stops fighting hearing her name called out, allowing Cynder to untie the straps holding the bridle in place. She gently removes the evil device, but the purple gem quickly draws more magic from the Spirit dragoness, completely removing the cloak of Light energy camouflaging her body.

"Damn it!" Cynder remarks with anger, tossing the harness and its evil magic away, then returning her sharp green eyes to Mya. "I was not expecting a dark crystal, so I'll have to carry you out of here instead."

Mya gently nods her head and Cynder can see the exhaustion in her eyes, however, that look turns to shock in an instant, as the young red dragoness finally looks up and sees her rescuer's face.

"You're...a dragon!" She says with surprise, and Cynder can feel complete anxiety inside her soul.

"_Easy now."_ The Spirit Elder replies with thought, placing her paw upon Mya's nose, and transferring some of her stamina to help the young dragon cope. She can suddenly feel conflict in this idea of seeing another dragon, and a genuine disbelief fills Mya's reddish-purple eyes.

"_I will explain all of this later...I promise!"_

Mya shows more surprise as Cynder answers another question without it being asked, but the Spirit Elder's gentle touch is soothing and helps her settle anyway.

"_Good girl!"_ Cynder replies with thought, placing her tail-blade between the lock and the cage. However, before Cynder can break the terrified dragoness free, the side door of the cargo hold opens wide, as two nervous wolves start delivering their bounty.

"By the Ancestors...It's Cynder!" A wolf barks with fear, quickly spotting the wife of Spyro without her Light camouflage.

Cynder leaps back with shock in her face, as both wolves enter the small cargo hold and draw pistols.

"You are not permitted to have those weapons on Avalar and you know that!" She barks with anger, seeing two citizens of Dragoon Bay holding illegal firearms.

The two wolves can see the anger in the Spirit Elder's eyes, and quickly lower the weapons in their paws. The overwhelming shame of their actions hits them like a ton of bricks, and both lower to a knee with fear.

"That is quite true dragon..." Another voice shouts from the door to Cynder's right, and quickly her eyes focus upon the a large grizzly bear holding a rifle.

"...but I am allowed to carry a weapon!"

Lord Cypher fires his gun, striking the red chest of the dark dragoness with a dart. It startles Cynder at first, and she becomes angry with the pain of this attack, quickly showing her teeth with rage.

"HOW DARE YOU!" She growls, yanking the dart from her chest, and tossing to the ground.

Lord Cypher's eyes open slightly, and he looks down at the Alpha wolf beside him.

"I'm impressed...that was enough Dopamine to take down a dozen adult dragons." He remarks calmly, then fires another dart at his target.

Cynder quickly raises her left wing, stopping the needle from striking her chest again. She can feel the tingle of the first dart, and understands what he is trying to do.

"You think you can poison me?" Cynder remarks with a snide grin, then uses her own Poison Power to cleanse the alien venom from her blood.

"You'll need to do better than that!"

The grizzly bear gives a quick smile, and nods his head arrogantly.

"Very well then dragon." He retorts, grasping a small black gem from his belt, and quickly tossing it at Cynder's feet.

As soon as the crystal breaks, the Spirit Elder is struck with the familiar drain of Dark Power, only ten times stronger. The little amount of magic she had left is removed violently from her body, giving Cynder a very light-headed feeling.

Lord Cypher, seeing his target stunned on her feet, takes no time to pull the trigger again, firing another single dart. This one strikes the wife of Spyro in the throat, instantly releasing a heavy dose of tranquilizers throughout her body, and dropping Cynder to her side.

Mya's eyes lock upon the new dragon she just met, and terror fills her heart believing she is the reason another, and maybe the last of her race, has been taken by this pirate.

"NOOOOOO!" the fire breather barks with complete rage, blazing the large grizzly with a torrent of intense flames from her now freed mouth.

Lord Cypher raises his right arm to protect his face, but still yells with pain as his paw is scorched with this burst of primal anger.

"YOU WORTHLESS LITTLE BEAST!" He barks angrily, swinging his foot across her exposed jaw, and knocking the young dragon out with a powerful kick to her left cheek.

Cynder freaks out seeing the large grizzly bear striking a dragon one third his size, and rage begins to sink into her Spirited soul. Her scales change to a darker black color as the past life and experiences of pain quickly overpower her new feelings of love and peace, sending Cynder into her Fury state.

Her head stops spinning and the dizziness fades quickly, as Cynder's magic power regenerates with her Fury, allowing the Poison to be absorbed with ease. However, she is unable to right herself before Lord Cypher grasps the small dragoness' cage, and pushes it out the opened side door of the cargo hold.

"THE OCEAN SHOULD PUT OUT THAT FIRE INSIDE!" He continues screaming with pain-filled rage, watching her heavy cage fall from the ledge, and splash into the harbor below.

He then looks back at his new prize and shock overtakes his rage-filled eyes, as Cynder rises back to her feet.

"Are you serious?" He remarks with pure surprise, watching the black and red dragoness, to whom he just injected several dozen doses of tranquilizers, stand without the slightest wobble.

"I am going to show you how serious I am!" Cynder growls, showing her pupil-less eyes to the vicious pirate.

Lord Cypher pauses with fear, then suddenly begins laughing at the posturing dragoness, knowing he has found his way out of this situation. The smug pirate points his burnt paw towards the opened cargo-bay door .

"Then she will die too!" He says with an arrogant confidence, looking deep into Cynder's pure white eyes and seeing the fear for a youngster she tried saving buried within her rage.

"I know you don't want that to happen, I can see it in your eyes." Lord Cypher continues, and Cynder begins moving towards the opened door, looking down at the cage resting upon the sea floor. The angry Spirit Elder can see the young dragoness struggling to free herself underwater, and the aura of her soul begins to fade.

Lord Cypher quickly gestures to his crew to ready the ship for take off, knowing it will take time for Cynder to rescue his decoy, time enough to be back in orbit if necessary.

"Good luck fishing her out." He remarks with more arrogance, seeing Cynder's wings begin opening, readying herself to jump. However, just as the black dragoness is about to dive from the ledge, she stops herself, and turns her white eyes back towards this evil Grizzly.

"I promise we will finish this fight the next time we meet drag..."

Suddenly, and without warning to the pompous Lord Cypher, the dark dragoness grasps the large bear by his throat, stopping his smug taunt and his pulse with one powerful squeeze. Cynder then yanks his body to the door, and forces him to look down at the clear blue water.

Shock fills his watering-eyes as a small purple dragon is already surfacing with Mya's cage in his arms, and quickly placing it upon the docks. In a second, young Malefor rips the box of steel bars apart and begins breathing life into the dragon he tried to kill.

"Well now! It looks like we will meet each other sooner than you thought." Cynder remarks with her own arrogant tone, and tightens the grip around Lord Cypher's throat.

The former Terror of the Skies stares into the dying eyes of her victim, when suddenly, a calming voice rings in her head, and the dark dragoness returns to her normal color. Cynder loosens her death grip as the Spiritual Energy inside retakes control.

"_I know Spyro..."_ She says calmly, placing the large bear down upon the ground, before he passes out cold. She then looks up at the larger purple and gold dragon hovering just outside the cargo-bay door.

"...he's not worth losing my soul!"

Cynder turns her eyes to the remaining crew of Lord Cypher's ship, and watches them place their weapons down. She is not surprised by their sudden unwillingness to fight, as her husband is showing a build up of power in his already opened mouth.

"Do you gentlemen have a problem with my wife?" The large purple and gold dragon asks, feeling Cynder's Spiritual energy returning to normal, and focusing his attention to the ones that attacked her.

"We're sorry Master Spyro!" Both lower wolves yelp in unison, looking towards Cynder with fear in their eyes. "We immediately surrendered the moment we saw the Great Elder!"

Spyro slightly chuckles as he lands beside his wife, seeing the look on her face as she is called the Great Elder.

"_It's not funny Spyro"_ She says, hearing her husband's thought, and Spyro's grin widens a little more.

"It is a little funny...Great Elder."

Cynder shows anger in her eyes, and gestures her head towards the bodies that were about to be brought on board. Spyro's grin disappears the moment his eyes focus upon this grave sight, and his rage boils over. It is not the fact that six dragons have been killed, but the way they have been disrespected in their afterlife, piled up like cargo. The purple scales on his neck and back begin to turn black with his Fury, quickly enveloping the rest of his body with his Dark Power.

"_I'm sorry Cynder...I didn't know about this."_ He says with a deeper thought, then lowers his head down with shame. Spyro's pure white eyes quickly snap back to the three wolves and five crew members of the space pirate's ship, and terrifies them all with a simple request made to his wife aloud.

"I want you to give me a minute alone with this vermin..." He says with a growl in his voice, staring upon all eight before him with no fear in his glowing white eyes. "...because I'm going to make them all show their respects to these dragons before I bring them in for murder."

Cynder places a paw upon her husband's back, settling him down a with a pulse of Spiritual Energy, and one simple request.

"_Don't kill them Spyro." _She says, reading all their minds in a flow of images, as their lives flash before their eyes with fear.

"_They did not hurt these dragons, they only stole them from their resting place."_

"Isn't that's bad enough?" Spyro replies with more rage, but slowly his wife's energy begins to calm him down...slightly. He takes a deep breath, and lets only Cynder know that he is in control of this anger.

"_I promise to be fair." _he continues in thought, never breaking eye-contact with the group he is still going to teach an unforgettable lesson to.

Cynder then looks down at Lord Cypher, and reads his eyes like a book. They show no remorse for his actions, and more so, a deeper secret that she almost witnessed with her own eyes.

"But you should be unfair to this one Spyro, because he has killed many dragons, like he tried with that young girl Malefor is with now."

The Spirit dragoness gently opens her wings and leaps out of the cargo hold, giving her husband's full attention to Lord Cypher. She quickly closes the cargo bay-door, just as Spyro's mouth opens wide with a pulse of pure Fury.

"May the ancestors have mercy on your soul." She remarks as the ship shutters with a strong blast of power, and all of her rage finally fades with his. However, a smile suddenly forms upon her face as the evil grizzly begins yelling with life.

"MY ARM!" He screams in agony at her husband. "You worthless beast! How could you do that?!"

"That's the last time you put that paw on any dragon!" Spyro shouts back sarcastically, and Cynder smiles a little more.

"_Now that's funny Spyro!"_

Cynder continues listening to the sound of multiple elemental attacks that quickly fill the cargo hold by her side, knowing her husband is taking the revenge against this group she could not as Spirit Elder. Her smile gets wider sensing every life inside the ship, and that none are in threat of dying, as only pain is felt.

A pain that is satisfying to the life-giving dragoness.

"And that's funny too." she replies aloud, feeling the embarrassment of all inside as Spyro humiliates the crew, ripping the respect from them in flurry of calculated elemental attacks.

However, the Spirit Elder suddenly senses another aura approaching from the north, and it is moving insanely fast. She quickly knows whose coming, as his power is the strongest of all the dragons on Avalar.

"_Malefor?"_ She asks herself with confusion, knowing he is not supposed to leave the city, but is answered fast by the sound of thunder coming from the ocean. Her eyes quickly focus upon a single bolt of lightning, streaming from cloud to cloud in a direct path towards the harbor town.

In a second, the streak of Electric energy is upon the harbor town, and forms into the familiar purple and gold dragon directly before his former servant.

"Where is he?" Malefor asks, startling Cynder with his anxiousness and the restless aura of the normally stable dragon king. She places a paw upon his flank, immediately helping to take the edge off his nervous energy.

"Calm down Malefor, and look at me!" She says, feeling his pulse beating incredibly fast, and hoping to get him to lock eyes on hers, which he does quickly.

Cynder suddenly does a double take, hearing a question about the new dragon she just met, then looks down at her son tending to Mya on the docks.

"Her?" She replies with more confusion, as Malefor's thoughts are of this stranger, and a powerful dream.

"_My son is a girl!"_ He replies with a stronger thought, and Cynder's is now beside herself with confusion.

"YOUR SON!" She barks, and Malefor quickly refocuses, realizing who he's talking to. His heart begins to steady itself, and quickly the immortal dragon places a paw upon Cynder's chest.

"I feel it Cynder! I feel it!" he says with excitement, looking down at her son as he helps this young red dragoness to her feet.

"I can feel it Aerial!"

"OK...Now you're freaking me out Malefor!" Cynder retorts with an uneasy voice, grasping his attention with her uncertainty, knowing he is speaking to his first wife aloud.

"She is mine Cynder, can you not tell?"

The Spirit dragoness is taken by this idea, having heard this young girl's memories while she was freeing her earlier, and knowing her disbelief in the Dragon Realms existence.

"It's not possible Malefor, she is not..."

Cynder's reply stops as she looks down at the young red dragon, and notices the sudden similarity to what her paw is physically feeling from Malefor now.

"BY THE ANCESTORS!" She barks, and looks over at her old Master with a bit of a grin.

"When did you have a child Malefor?" Cynder asks, and quickly gets no answer from his mouth or his mind, which becomes concerning to her.

"_You don't know do you?"_

His anxiousness returns in a second, and one thought is heard in his mind.

"_Only with Aerial."_ he replies with embarrassment in his pride, but not in his heart, and Cynder gives him a sincere smile.

"She is definitely yours Malefor, I can see it in the energy inside of her." Cynder remarks, looking down again, and locking eyes with the Mya as she looks up. However, the Spirit dragoness can see the shock fill her aura, and watches as the young dragoness' Spirit swirls with uncertainty.

"I better get down there!" Cynder remarks, as her son catches Mya's collapsing body, and quickly she and the king are by their side.

"Mom!" Malefor yelps with shock, seeing his mother appear from nowhere, and quickly asking questions like a ten year old would.

"What the heck is going on? Why did Dad just go crazy looking for you? Who tried to kill this dragon?"

All of these questions are barked with anger in his young voice, trying to emulate his father the best he can. However, his next question is with a more concerned and caring tone, making Cynder feel the Spyro inside her son, as the life of the dragon before him becomes the only thing on his mind.

"Is she gonna be alright Mom?"

Cynder places a paw upon the young girl's chest, and looks down at her son with a smile. She can feel a strong pulse, and can tell Mya is only in shock.

"It's OK baby...she is just overwhelmed with what is going on around her." the Spirit dragoness replies to her son, and watches his aura brighten.

Suddenly, a loud bang comes from the dark ship taking everyone's attention to the opening cargo door.

"You are all very lucky I am in a good mood!" Spyro barks out to the group laying on the floor, then turns his eyes to the two wolves he never touched. He points a single talon in their direction, gesturing it for them to approach.

"However...I am going to make the two of you suffer!"

Both wolves take heavy gulps as Spyro's energy begins to increase again, but before he can do anything, his eyes catch the familiar dragon standing by his wife and son.

"Malefor?" He quips, unsure of his peripheral vision, then takes his eyes from the two wolves and focuses on the king.

"What in the name of the ancestors are you doing out of the palace?"

Spyro begins to lower down towards the dock, however, his eyes snap back to the two he was just scolding.

"Don't you two dare move a muscle...YOU UNDERSTAND ME!"

Both shake their heads with just nerves, unable to move if they could.

The purple and gold dragon then lowers down to the side of his old adversary, placing a single arm against his flank in a gesture of camaraderie.

"What's going on here, Big Guy?" He asks, looking down at the unconscious red dragoness his wife is still tending with a gentle touch, then notices everyone is staring at her with awe.

"Who's this little one? Malefor's new girlfriend!"

The smallest purple dragon gives his father a quick look of anger, making daddy smirk with his hasty reaction. However, the largest purple dragon gives his now best friend a slightly angered look.

"That's my daughter Spyro, so watch yourself."

"WHAT!" He replies with shock and turns his eyes to his wife. "Is he kidding Cynder?"

An unsure look in her eyes brings Spyro's attention back to the former Dark Master, then down to a red dragon approximately twelve years of age.

"Where did this child come from?" He asks with deep concern, and Cynder quickly places a paw against her husband's side, hearing his thoughts and worries.

"Easy Spyro. I sense no evil inside her at all, only confusion." Cynder says, then looks up at Malefor with a pair of saddened eyes. "However...I can also tell you for certain now... she is not your daughter, Malefor."

The king shows her an annoyed look, suddenly feeling upset about the Spirit Elder's comment.

"What makes you so sure, Cynder? I can tell there is something about her that is a part of me."

The Spirit dragon removes her paw from Mya's chest, and rises up to look Malefor eye to eye. Cynder places the same paw upon his gold chest, and shows him a very powerful vision from Mya's mind.

"She has vivid memories of her father."

Malefor's shoulders lower down, feeling as if he has lost his child all over again.

"That doesn't mean she is not related to you old dragon!" A familiar voice suddenly calls out from an area of developing shadows, as he saw the great King's aura drop before arriving with his valet.

"I swear I hate traveling this way, Nightshade." Diamond remarks out of the blue, as the Shadow Dragon places his old paws down upon the docks where the last of several teleportations ended. He shakes his body of the cold sensation that moving through the Shadow Realm gives him, then looks up at his old friend and continues where he left off.

"This young dragon can simply be a descendent of yours, Malefor." Diamond says with assurance, sensing the same heart beat he felt across the ocean, and knowing that the King's lineage is present in the young girl before him.

The albino dragon labors his frail body to Malefor and taps him on the shoulder, easing his tensions with a Spirited touch and a quick joke.

"You know...you are quite OLD when you think about it."

Spyro becomes stunned, hearing the other Spirit dragon on the planet confirm what he just heard his wife say, and his eyes lock upon the unconscious youngster.

"Then where has she been all this time?" he asks, and looks at his wife and Diamond for an answer. Both stare at him with the same look of uncertainty, and shrug their shoulders in unison.

"I thought you could read minds, what kind of Spirit Dragons are you?" He remarks while rolling is eyes, and Cynder steps forward to her husband.

"You know it don't work that way honey!" She replies sarcastically, and places a paw upon his gold chest. _"You have to be willing to tell me things so I can hear them."_

Spyro can hear a question asked in his mind, and a look of anger fills his wife's eyes.

"NO! I did not eat the mushrooms you gathered last week."

His answer is filled with doubt, and Cynder rolls her eyes.

"Like I've said to you a hundred times before." She grunts, showing her husband the image he was just thinking about for less than a second.

Spyro can see the pile of mushrooms he consumed while watching the trials for the Dragon Games, and looks at his wife with a bit of fear in his eyes.

"_You have to think about the moment for me to see it!" _

" I really hate when you do that..." He says with a smirk, then looks down at the young red dragoness. "...so what do we do about her?"

Spyro immediately tries taking the focus from himself, and Cynder smiles before looking down at Mya herself.

"Regardless of where she came from, or who she is. This young dragon needs our help."

Cynder turns her eyes to King Malefor, showing concern for her next words, knowing they will not be taken well by his Majesty.

"However, I think we need to bring her to my home first Malefor!" She says cautiously, hearing the large purple dragon already expressing his thoughts of bringing her to the palace.

"I am not leaving her for a moment Cynder!" Malefor returns with anger in his voice, but his Spirit remains clear and focused. His thoughts are of one thing, and Cynder quickly places a paw upon her old master's cheek.

"You won't my old friend, I promise you will be with her." She says, then turns her eyes to Spyro. "You can simply stay with us for a few days."

"HEY!" Spyro grumbles, looking at his wife with his own anger. "Don't you remember the last time he stayed in our home?"

The purple and gold dragon gives the king a very annoyed stare, knowing how long it took to replace the damage he and the new Fire Guardian did to his home ten years ago.

"I can still smell smoke in the back room from that little stunt you guys pulled."

"Then I won't stay inside your home, Master Spyro, but I am coming with her!" Malefor barks, startling the purple dragon with his rage-filled voice. He lowers his head as Cynder quickly gives her husband an annoyed look as well.

"OK! OK! I was only kidding. You'll stay in Malefor's room." Spyro concedes, looking up at his friend with a more sincere pair of eyes.

"I would never keep you or any dragon from their family."

The King shows his best friend a grin, and places a paw upon Spyro's back as they look down at the young dragoness again.

"I just hope she's not a hot head like you Malefor..." Spyro remarks, placing an elbow into Malefor's ribs. "...because I don't want to replace everything in the house again."

"I cannot believe you are still bringing that little fire up Spyro!"

Spyro chuckles then looks at his wife with a snide grin.

"Yeah...well I can't believe Cynder is the one sticking up for you here."

Both purple dragons turn to the Spirit Dragoness and begin laughing, knowing the blaze that completely destroyed Spyro's home, enraged her the most.

"Yeah...I was surprised at that too!"

Cynder suddenly squints her eyes and shows Malefor the same stare he got when she saw the damage done ten years ago by he and Excelcius.

"You know...I think you better pick this young lady up and keep quiet before I change my mind, Your Majesty!"

Malefor balks with fear for a second, then quickly leans down to scoop up the red dragoness in his arms, however, young Malefor grasps his large paw.

Remaining quiet the whole time the adults argued, Spyro's son never took his attention from Mya, enthralled with just the sight of her breathing calmly. His mind racing with a single vision that consumes him, and that is the fiery reddish-purple eyes he saw for only a second.

"Can I carry her Uncle Malefor?" he says with a crack in his normally stable voice, and all five dragons stare at him for a moment. They can see the look in his eyes, and everyone gives him a smile.

"I don't see why not young dragon." The King replies, and places a heavy paw upon his namesake's back. "You are easily as strong as your father and I know you have his heart as well."

Malefor smiles at the comment given by the dragon he calls an Uncle, honoring his brother's odd relation to the King. Quickly, Malefor slides his paws under the slightly larger red dragon's frame with care, and uses his father's lineage to lift Mya up.

He gently cradles the over hang of her body with his wings, and Spyro smiles wider, as it is exactly how Malefor has seen him carry Cynder. He then looks over at his wife, whose smile becomes irremovable as well, and the purple dragon feels a well of pride build in his heart.

"_Oh no...I think he really likes her."_ Spyro says to himself, and turns to King Malefor to show a smile, however, his purple eyes are already locked on him.

"That boy of yours better not be anything like you when it comes to the ladies..." Malefor remarks, placing a very heavy paw upon his best friend's shoulder "...because I might have an issue with this."

Spyro chuckles as the King shows a sarcastic grin afterward, and returns his attention down to the dock as something else catches his eye.

"Are you OK with her Malefor, or do you need another paw?"

"No Dad...I got her!" he replies with a confident tone, and Spyro points down at the dock.

"And what about that?"

Malefor notices the sword his father just gave him, laying upon the ground where he placed it, removing it after rescuing Mya from the water. A slight look of concern fills his eyes, but he quickly returns them to the red dragoness in his arms.

"Can you grab it for me Uncle Malefor?" He simply asks, never taking his eyes from Mya.

The question makes Spyro balk for a second, as his son was drooling over the sword only five minutes ago, and now it is furthest thing from his mind. The purple dragon returns his eye to the king, as he grabs Malefor's new sword, and shows him another smug smirk.

"Oh yeah...we will definitely have issues here."

Malefor chuckles himself, hearing Spyro's sarcastic tone, then looks across the harbor to the transport ship readying to depart for New Warfang, and a simple thought changes the topic of conversation

"Well I must say, I have not sailed across the ocean since I was a whelpling, and I'm kinda eager to get going for a few reasons now." Malefor remarks with some urgency, wanting to get home with this possible new family member. However, Spyro holds up his right palm, showing off a small electric device.

Practically embedded in his paw, this tiny communicator is a connection to another life.

"I think a twelve-hour boat ride simply will not do right now." He says, taping a button on his Skylander's communicator.

"General Spyro!" A crackling voice responds from the tiny speaker in his palm. "Is anything wrong? I saw a fluctuation in Cynder's power, then yours skyrocketed soon there after."

"We're fine Gaven..." Spyro replies to his commander, the Skylander Portal Master, and one of the purple dragon's closest friends.

"...we just had a little issue with some pirates...that's all."

"Is the harbor still in one piece, General?" The old master replies quickly and with a taunting tone in his voice, knowing his best Skylander's power are incredible and very well controlled. However, even for the great hero of Avalar, sometimes things go terribly wrong.

"Tell me, my friend, how many buildings do the Skylander engineers need to repair this time?"

"HA... HA... HA...wiseguy, you're not very funny!" The purple dragon replies sarcastically, but can suddenly hear his wife shutter with laughter at one very embarrassing blunder her husband made a few years ago.

"The lighthouse is still standing, Master Gaven!" Cynder barks into Spyro's palm, allowing the Portal Master to laugh harder, as his own wife has joined in on the joke.

Spyro shuts down his communicator and looks back at Malefor, whom has a grin on his face as well. He can also recall the large structure Spyro accidentally knocked over during a battle with a different group of pirates.

"You know I think a twelve-hour boat ride is a much better idea!" The purple dragon remarks with complete sarcasm, and Cynder laughs aloud as she taps the call button on HER wrist communicator.

Being a Skylander as well, the dark dragon has the same device embedded in her paw. The sound of Gaven's laughter comes over the tiny speaker in Cynder's paw, as he never stopped when Spyro hung up on him.

"Gaven, can you open a portal to our home." She remarks, looking at her husband's red cheeks, and loving every minute of his uncomfortable expression, knowing how humbled he was after that accident.

"I think Spyro needs to lay down for a few minutes."

"With pleasure my dear." The Portal Master responds, and his laughter quickly fades under the sound of a rift opening before them.

Cynder pecks her husband on the cheek, as he continues to blush from embarrassment, then looks down at her son, and the red dragoness in his arms.

"_We will find your mother little one..."_

The familiar voice Mya heard before, rings in the unconscious dragon's head.

"_...I promise my husband and I will do everything we can."_

A sudden sensation of energy is felt throughout her body, as all five dragons step through the swirling disk of energy, returning to the Valley of Avalar in a blink of an eye.

"_...until then...rest here and know you have a safe place to stay for as long as needed!"_

A sudden comfort overwhelms the young dragon, and she relaxes as if she was in her mother's arms.

Meanwhile, back on the pirate ship, two terrified wolves watch the purple dragon that scolded them simply disappear into a portal with the group. They both turn their heads back to see the Alpha of their pack still lying on the ground unconscious.

"He's gone Fang..." One wolf remarks, looking back outside for any sign of the purple dragon, and not seeing anything. "...lets get the heck out of here!"

Fang keeps staring at his former boss and the fur that has been ripped from every part of his body, now strewn upon the steel floor. He brings his eyes forward, returning to the exact position Spyro told him to remain.

"You do whatever you want Slate...I'm stayin' right here!"

* * *

**Chapter 2 is in the books, and I must say thank you for the response. Almost 500 hits on the old story in a week, and a hundred for this one. **


	3. Life-like Dreams

Chapter 3: Life-like Dreams

Deep inside the mystical realm of the Gods sits an old palace with only one resident, the former guardian of Fire. His life now, or afterlife to be exact, to keep a chronicle of the Dragon's Realms' history.

For seventeen years Ignitus has held this job, replacing the old Chronicler Constantine after Malefor's defeat, but it almost ended fast for the new dragon watcher as he became physically involved in history. A moment in time he would never take back, even after his Master began scalding him, Ignitus stood firm on his actions.

He had saved Cynder's life by stopping Time itself, sending a small ripple throughout the entire Universe. It effected nothing thankfully, but the anger in God's eye was enough to send chills down the old Fire Guardian's spine, and so to was his judgment.

"You will never be allowed to see him or his sons again!"

The voice of God still echoes in head, and Ignitus feels the pain with every day that passes, only able to read a book about his former purple friend, and son he never had.

Now laying inside the largest room in the Library of Time, Spyro's book is by his side, as he keeps a sharp eye on the first purple dragon in the age of Ignitus.

Stored upon the shelves of this enormous building are millions of books. Some are thin, and some quite thick, but all tell him stories about the single life they represent. The blueish colored dragon is now passing his time reading another book, enjoying the excitement of a dragon he has never laid eyes upon physically.

"I can't believe he is turning ten tomorrow!" Ignitus remarks to himself, reading the small book bound in purple and gold, and smiling as he visuallizes Malefor's emotions. The pages begin glowing with the Chronicler's own feelings, as he envisions Spyro's youngest staring upon the sword his father just bought for his birthday.

"I only wish I could be there to celebrate with you Spyro..." The old dragon remarks, looking at the other purple and gold book he has read several times, always laying by his side.

"...but that can never be possible again!"

Suddenly, the pages before him begin to shine in a different light, as stronger emotions begin writing themselves into the pages of Malefor's history. Spyro's book lights up as well, and Ignitus quickly opens it to the last page, seeing the same glowing emotions unfolding in his life too.

"What the heck is going on?" The Chronicler remarks, seeing and odd symbol written with history's pen, appearing in both books.

"Who is that?" He says with total shock, seeing a dragon he has never read about. "And why don't I know her?"

Ignitus looks up at the shelves of books surrounding him, then closes his eyes and concentrates.

"_Show me the book of MYA"_

His thought is heard by the library and every book inside becomes dull, except the one he calls for. However, Ignitus quickly becomes concerned seeing none of the books have lit up brightly.

"Where is it?" he remarks, spinning around three hundred sixty degrees, and spotting nothing glowing on the shelves.

Suddenly, after a few seconds of terrifying confusion, a small light begins to appear in a darkened area of the library.

"In the name of the Ancestors!" He remarks with surprise, as this light comes from a section destroyed long ago by evil.

"How are there any dragons still alive in that room?" He says with a deep pain in his voice, knowing he has not stepped foot inside that wing of the library in twenty-two hundred years.

"The Dark Master killed everyone in there."

Ignitus flies over to the glowing light, and notices a two-toned red book on the other side of several large chunks of solid marble. He becomes annoyed in seconds, as the collapsed doorway keeps him from reading about the history of this mysterious dragon, one whose name is now appearing in Spyro and Malefor's books.

The rage in his eyes begins to burn like old, as his fiery spirit returns, however, the Chronicler knows he can do nothing to move stone, and heads back to the two books he was just reading.

"That cannot be!" Ignitus remarks with angered surprise, as several more pages have written themselves in a blur of emotion, as Spyro is told about this young red dragon's heritage by his wife.

"But Malefor's child was never bor..."

Suddenly Ignitus stops talking to himself, and looks over towards the collapsed section of the great library.

"Is it possible, Constantine?" He asks his old self, then quickly jumps to his feet.

With great haste he runs to a different room inside the palace, and a book that he has still not finished reading. In fact, it's sheer size forced the Chronicler to move it out of the main hall, to the only room where he could spend that much time reading the nearly four and half million years of an immortal dragon's history.

Ignitus lays upon the cushions of his sleeping chamber, and opens the largest book in the Library of Time to the first few pages, and his life before the Dark Master stole his soul.

"Well this is very interesting..." he says, reading Malefor's past with caution this time, and seeing a name that becomes very curious to him.

"...I never thought of her before!"

"_Great Library of Time...bring me the book of Isis!"_ Ignitus calls out in his mind, and within seconds, a dull colored green and black book hovers into the Chronicler's private chamber, and lays itself by his side.

The Chronicler blows years of dust from the binding of this special dragon's book, exposing her full name upon the cover.

Isis...Wind dragon...daughter of Thorax and Jade...Mother of Malefor; ninth purple dragon in the age of Constantine.

Ignitus opens the old book quickly, skipping through the first part of her life, and reading everything after the moment etched in every book from that time period. The day Malefor's soul was taken by the Dark Master.

The pain of that moment is quickly felt inside the Chronicler's heart, as it was the darkest day in the Dragon Realm's history, affecting every life in the library for two full millennium there after.

A scowl quickly fills the blue dragon's face, as one singular passage is read.

"She found a purple and blue egg." He says shaking his head with regret, seeing one of several moments missed by Constantine, the Chronicler he replaced.

"I was kinda busy with the war at that time." Ignitus says to himself, feeling the guilt of this former incarnation of himself, and looking back to Malefor's book with a deep regret.

"But now that my eyes have been opened...I will make things right again."

Ignitus looks up to the heavens, and being so close to the gods, he knows his voice will be heard.

"I know you said I can never see my friend Spyro again, Great master..." Ignitus returns his eyes to Malefor's book, and a snide grin forms upon his muzzle. "...but that doesn't mean I cannot talk to his purple friend"

The Chronicler stands upon his feet, and strolls over to the small pool of reflecting water inside his chamber. He concentrates hard for a moment, and quickly the reflection begins to change from him to the large Purple and gold dragon laying beside the small red one he knows nothing about.

"It's time I paid my respects to the King!"

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the Dragon Realms, the first sun of Avalar's binary system begins rising over the eastern edge of the valley, spilling the first signs of morning into this pristine place. Spyro and his wife, sleeping in their chamber, begin stirring, knowing the long day they have planned today, however, they both take the time to hold each other for a few more minutes. The married couple just rest together, still tired from lack of sleep, as they shared the same odd dream that night.

"I can't believe he's turning ten today." Spyro remarks to quickly change the subject, showing his wife a stronger memory then the one she is thinking about now.

The moment he held Malefor in his huge paws for the first time is visualized in the purple dragon's head, and Cynder quickly smiles as she feeds off her husband's surging Spirit.

"_You should have seen your face, Spyro!"_ She replies in thought while gently kissing him on the cheek, then showing a vision to her husband, as the Spirit dragoness recalls the same moment. The two revel in the past, showing memories of Malefor to one another, as he grew from whelpling to dragon.

"I am so proud of the way he is just like his father!" Cynder says suddenly, and the purple dragon becomes slightly confused at this statement, looking over at his wife with a smug grin.

"Are you kidding?" He remarks with a sarcastic tone. "He only looks like me, Cynder. That boy is so much like his mother that it scares me sometimes."

Cynder can see a vision of what her husband saw when he got up during the night, and a courteous young dragon that was shivering beside a fire in the wide open living room, offering his warm sleeping chamber to the king and his possible kin.

"He didn't want to disturb the young girl with his snoring." Spyro continues, and Cynder can hear the exact same words her son spoke, when asked why he was sleeping there.

"That something you would do honey." He says with a smile, then lays his head back down on the cushions. "You know me...I would have just snored louder!"

Cynder chuckles at her husband's remark, but more so knowing he is speaking the truth, however, the Spirit Elder is still disturbed, and she feels it in her husband as well. She grasps Spyro by the back of his neck, and gently pulls his head across her chest.

"_So what do you think we should do?"_ Cynder remarks in thought, and Spyro takes a deep breath, as the vision from last nights dream returns.

"I don't know what to do yet Cynder." He replies, breaking his hold from his wife as this vision she showed of Mya's thoughts become more intense.

"I know we have to find her mother, but I still don't know what we can do if we don't know where she came from." He remarks with a slight amount of anger, and Cynder doesn't question him again. Other then his son's tenth birthday, this is the only thought that is consuming the purple hero's mind.

"I'm sorry Spyro." The Spirit Elder replies, knowing her images are only enraging a helpless hero.

"I'm just afraid that she will never see her again."

Suddenly Cynder stops and turns her head sharply towards the room on the right, where Malefor and Mya are spending the night. She can feel a deep build up of emotion, and can tell it is coming from the king.

"What is it?" Spyro remarks, as Cynder cautiously begins stepping towards the doorway, readying to run to the front room as she can feel help is needed.

"Something is wrong." She says, turning her head back to look at her husband, and showing a bit of concern in her eyes.

"King Malefor's Spiritual Energy skyrocketed, then just suddenly disappeared!"

"MOM...DAD!" Young Malefor's voice quickly barks out from the front of the cave, and Cynder and Spyro are quickly out of bed and down the hallway.

"What's wrong Malefor?" Spyro yelps as he reaches his son, grasping the shuttering dragon tightly in his arms.

"It's Uncle Malefor!"

Spyro looks into his son's sleeping chamber and can see Cynder already tending to the large purple dragon laying upon his side, a sight he has only seen seventeen years ago, the day he and his wife took him down.

"What happen in here?" He asks, and Malefor shows his dad a fear-filled set of eyes.

"I don't know Dad..." he replies in a panicked tone, looking over at the large purple dragon that he has never seen down in his life.

"...he was restless all night, so I finally went inside to talk, and then suddenly, he just fell over."

Spyro balks with curiosity for a moment, and turns to look at the purple dragon laying on his side.

"Cynder?" he says in a questioning tone, and quickly she answers his thought.

"He's alive Spyro, but unconscious and unresponsive." She replies, looking up to her husband as he strides inside his sons' room. Cynder quickly stands up, and grasps her husband's shoulder, feeding his mind the images she just took from Malefor's.

"But I can't see anything inside of him." She continues, showing the purple dragon a darkness that is almost familiar to him.

"By the Ansestors...I think I know what this is!" he says with total shock in his purple eyes, and Cynder picks up on the same vague and darkened images in Spyro's head. She becomes very confused, unable to see the vision her husband is thinking of and a place that seems more Spiritual than her power can handle.

"What is going on?" Cynder asks, and Spyro gives her a concerned look, as he thought she could see every image he showed her. However, a smile soon crosses his face, as he looks back down upon the larger purple dragon and the red youngster his wing is resting upon.

"I think he's with an old friend Cynder..." He says, looking up towards the heavens, and envisioning his old mentor in blue.

"...one who can answer a few questions that we cannot."

* * *

His eyes never closed during the long night, watching Mya as she sleeps, staring upon the small dragoness whose heart beats in rhythm with his.

Malefor rests his wing upon her flank, as a shiver begins shaking the cushions they are both laying upon. The purple dragon quickly uses one of his elements to replenish the small fire he has made, allowing Mya to keep warm in Spyro's drafty home.

"I wish I could fix that crack in the ceiling, young one..." The large dragon remarks, looking up at the small gap that allows in the sun's glow, but also the cold winds.

"Yeah, but my mom would kill you if you patched that up!"

Malefor's voice startles the king for a moment, and he quickly focuses on the dragon he disturbed with his blast of flame.

"Sorry if I woke you Malefor...I was just trying to keep her warm."

"Don't worry Uncle Malefor, I wasn't sleeping anyway." The young dragon replies, as he too was still thinking of the young girl laying on his bed of cushions.

"How is she?"

Malefor lifts his wing and notices her shivering has halted which puts a smile on his face.

"She is resting comfortably, and I can feel her strength returning with every passing minute." He replies, then returns his attention to Spyro's son. "I have no doubt she will be awake soon."

A larger smile fills the smaller purple and gold dragon's muzzle, and he quietly strides into his own room, taking a spot beside the king.

"Do you really think she's related to you in some way, Uncle Malefor?" He asks timidly, staring at Mya just like the larger purple dragon is doing, and feeling a connection with her as well.

"I am not sure my young friend." is his uncertain reply, and Malefor looks up to see tears begin forming in the King's eyes.

"Everything is cloudy to me now, and I don't know what to believe."

Malefor takes a deep breath before looking down at the young dragon to his right, showing the difficult emotions he is having with just his eyes.

"I know what I saw, and I know what I did, but now I am being shown a different past, one that makes me sick when I think about it more and more."

"How so Uncle?" The young dragon asks, standing up on his feet to get closer to Malefor, showing him the concerned eyes for a great friend.

"My child was left alone to survi..."

The King stops talking abruptly, and passes out cold before Malefor's terrified eyes. He can see the panic setting upon his little nephew's face just as he loses focus, then immediately wakes in a vast chamber filled with thousands of books

"WHAT THE!" He barks with shock, retaking his feet in a defensive posture, and knocking over several shelves as his large frame moves around, looking for answers in all directions.

"Please be careful!" A familiar voice calls out and Malefor stops his feet, staring upon the vaguely familiar dragon that just appeared before his eyes.

"Ignitus?"

Malefor's shocked expression puts a slight smile on the blue dragon's narrow muzzle, however, the happy feeling leaves as his eyes see the pile of books strewn upon the floor, and the Chronicler's gives his newest purple guest a gaze of disapproval.

"Well...I can see you still enjoy wrecking the places where I live Malefor."

The old foe of the Fire Guardian does a double take, as Ignitus begins laughing, and places a paw upon the large dragon's flank.

"Easy your Majesty...I am only trying to loosen your mood."

"What?" is the king's stunned reply as he is still unsure of his surroundings, knowing he was just talking to Malefor a second ago in Spyro's home.

"Where am I and WHY am I here?"

His anger is apparent as the emotions of what he was just talking about still consume his mind.

"Take it easy Malefor!" Ignitus remarks, seeing the king is frantic and removes his sarcastic tone to explain this sudden appearance.

"This is Library of Time, and I have brought you here to help me unbury an old King's past."

Malefor's silence puts the smirk back upon Ignitus' face, as he can see the same reaction a different purple dragon had twenty years earlier, when he found out where he was standing.

"Spyro has told me of this place, and the old Chronicler who helped him hone his magic well." Malefor says with awe, suddenly feeling tense in the moment, and returning his eyes to Dragon of TIme. The King bows to Ignitus, showing his utmost respect.

"He also informed me that his old Mentor is now the keeper of our history!"

A deep feeling of shame overcomes his Majesty, and Malefor lowers his head all the way to the ground.

"I'm sorry Ignitus...I never meant to hurt our race like that."

"Stop apologizing for things you had no control over Malefor. I have read your past and know exactly what happened, so please do not take this blame upon your soul any longer."

Ignitus places a paw on Malefor's shoulder, and stares into his eyes.

"Your actions in the last ten years have been nothing but noble, and that is not my word..." The Chronicler pauses his thought to look around his library, feeling a great sense of peacefulness from every single book. "...it is the thoughts of everyone on Avalar."

A genuine feeling of joy comes over Malefor's heart, as the Chronicler lets him know what he had hoped was the truth.

"Thank you, Ignitus..." He replies, raising up to his four feet, and holding his posture with pride in the work he's done over the last decade. "...if you didn't help Spyro to become the dragon he is, I would still be a slave to the Dark Master."

Ignitus pats the old dragon upon his side, and begins walking towards the collapsed section of the library.

"Your welcome Your Highness...However!" He barks, getting Malefor's attention with his sudden demanding tone.

"Letting you know the good job you are doing is not why I brought you here."

Ignitus turns his eyes back to the purple dragon, shows a smug grin, then gestures his head at the large pile of marble blocking his path.

"Like I said before...I need you to help me unbury the past."

Malefor suddenly grins himself, walks up beside the blue dragon, and takes a seat upon his hind quarters.

"Do you mean to tell me I am only here to perform manual labor?" He asks with a snide tone, looking down upon the shorter dragon with a wider smirk on his face.

"You did read that I am the King of the Dragon Realms now...Right?"

Ignitus chuckles, but his heart suddenly burns with pain.

"I wanted to ask Spyro...but I can no longer see him anymore."

"Why not?"

Malefor can see the pain in Ignitus eyes, and doesn't push him for a response when he becomes silent. He knows from Spyro himself that the Chronicler has not been heard from in over ten years, and has even voiced his own concern about his former mentor's status as history's keeper. The purple dragon instead does as requested, and uses his Earth power to move the stone blockade.

The moment Malefor moves the first large chunk of marble, the book that Ignitus called for earlier quickly finds a way through a small gap and into its master's paw.

"Is that what I think it is?" Malefor remarks, dropping the second stone he was about to move, noticing this two-toned red book with a purple binding.

Ignitus nods his head, but remains focused upon Mya's book, absorbing this young dragon's life story as he speeds through the pages of her history. However, half way through, he stops and focuses on one single event.

"Oh my word!" He says looking up at Malefor, then scans the small portion of the room he can see through the hole he made.

"Get me in there now!"

Malefor can sense the anxiety in the Chronicler and quickly uses a powerful blast of Fury to vaporize the remaining marble blocking their way.

Ignitus runs into the room, and collapses to his haunches after only a few strides inside. He can feel only intense emotion around him, as these unknown voices of the past fill his mind in an instant

"By the ancestors..."

Ignitus lowers his head, then yells at the top of his lungs, startling Malefor with his anger.

"...HOW COULD I HAVE MISSED THIS!"

"What is going on Ignitus?" Malefor asks with concern, looking around at the thousands of darkened books upon the shelves in the small room.

"Who are all these dragons?"

The Chronicler turns his angered eyes to the large purple dragon and shows pure rage.

"The ones that fled YOUR wrath...DARK MASTER!"

Malefor balks at the cold way in which the Chronicler places blame, especially after hearing his forgiveness before. He too falls to his haunches, and shows Ignitus the pain returning to his eyes.

"Forgive me Your Highness..." The Chronicler remarks with surprise in the words he just spoke, shaking his head of the voices that filled it in an instant. They suddenly controlled Ignitus' emotions, expressing the anger from inside the books around him.

"...I really don't know why I said that."

The blue dragon looks around at all the darkened books, signifying a dragon that has passed away, and holds a paw out towards one of thousands. It quickly removes itself from the shelf and floats to the Chronicler's waiting paw. He speeds through a life he never knew about and understands the emotions he felt after only the first few pages.

The Chronicler closes that book and opens his palm towards another, deeper inside the room. The second book is quick to respond the same way as the first, which has now returned to its former resting place, and Ignitus reads the second book just as fast.

"I'm sorry Malefor...I never should have brought you here." He says with a somber tone, returning the second book manually, and placing his paw upon the bindings of several others beside it. The Chronicler takes a deep breath as these books all call out with the same rage.

"This room feels great hatred for a single dragon, and his name still lives on in shame."

Malefor lowers further upon his haunches, making his gold stomach take most of his weight, and a very shallow voice comes from his massive frame.

"Me."

Ignitus lowers his head and Malefor knows the answer he gave is correct. He then looks around at all the books, feeling the rage himself of thousands of dragons whom have not forgiven him, and never will.

"We should go..." The Chronicler remarks with regret, placing a paw upon the purple dragon's side, and giving him a gentle push towards the door. "...I didn't bring you here to feel this kind of pain Malefor."

However, the king has no intention of leaving once his sharp eyes lock upon the back of the room, and a shelf with dozens of purple bound books.

"Not yet!" He replies strongly, retaking his feet with conviction, and striding towards the rear of this dusty section of the library. He can see one of the books is still lit, beside an open spot where Mya's book must have been sitting.

"Malefor stop!" The Chronicler barks, as the large dragon reaches out. "You must not handle these books!"

However, Malefor's paw is already upon the purple binding as Ignitus' warning is given. The large purple dragon pauses anticipating any repercussions, but when nothing happens, Malefor simply removes the book from the shelf.

"I'm hoping this is her mother..." The King returns, resting the book upon the ground and lifting its cover.

"Your Highness..." Ignitus barks, slamming his paw down upon Danielle's book, and showing the king a stern set of eyes "...I said don't touch it!"

"Why?" He returns with his own anger, showing Ignitus the same stern gaze. "Are you afraid I will become upset at what she has to say about my Dark past, and the way I destroyed everything..."

The Chronicler is speechless for a moment, as this was the reason for his stopping Malefor, however as the king continues he realizes how right he was.

"...I have heard the RAGE of everyone on Avalar at one point in time, and I can handle that now. I know it was not my fault"

"But that is not what you will read in that book, Your Majesty." The Chronicle replies, keeping his paw firmly upon the blue and white cover.

"She is not angry." He continues after a long stare, showing the emotion he feels from the pages under his paw.

"This dragoness is embarrassed about her heritage, as all these purple dragons are, and I don't want you to read about them. At least not yet anyway my friend"

Malefor pauses, and looks down at the book under Ignitus' paw, suddenly having no urge to open the cover. He then looks at all the purple bound books with a deep sickness, knowing this entire line of dragons lived with his shame.

The Chronicler places a paw upon the large dragon's shoulder, and shows a slight grin to the now depressed king.

"I think you should start at the beginning first..." Ignitus remarks, striding back out the cleared doorway and gesturing Malefor to follow. "...you need to understand the who, before you understand the how and the why."

The old blue dragon strides completely across the large library to his sleeping chamber, and points out two books for Malefor to start with.

"That can only be done by seeing your own past unfold."

Malefor's eyes open wide as one book takes his attention immediately, and it is not the massive purple and gold book that bears his own name.

"MOM!" he says with a sudden chill down his spine, seeing the green and black colors that reminds him of his childhood.

"You should find page one twenty five of great interest, as that is the real reason I brought you here."

Malefor holds his position for a moment, unable to move a muscle towards the darkened book before him.

"I can't read her book Ignitus..." he says with a very deep pain in his voice. "...I don't want to know what my mother thought of me in the end."

Ignitus smiles, as he has read the back pages of Isis' book, and though it was darkened with the pain of what happened, she never lost her love for the dragon she raised.

"No Malefor...that is a book I think you will find useful over the next few months."

Malefor continues to stare at the green and black book, never taking his eyes from the life story of his mother. However, he suddenly snaps his attention to the blue dragon beside him, as the Chronicler's last words register with confusion.

"Months...What are you talking about months?"

"Well...unless you can speed read like myself, it should take at least five days just for you to finish reading your own book."

Malefor balks with more confusion, looking over towards the large purple book, and having no interest in reading that one either, as he lived all 4.3 Million years of it. However, the simple matter of time is what is most intriguing

"I cannot stay here for a such a long length of time Ignitus."

"Why not?" The Chronicler replies with a smug look on his face. "I thought you're an immortal!"

Malefor rolls his eyes before showing another look of confusion.

"Yes I am immortal, but I'm sure Spyro doesn't want a huge purple dragon laying in the middle of his son's room for months!"

Ignitus begins to laugh, and holds up the amulet glowing around his neck.

"I wouldn't concern yourself with that...This Library is not influenced by Time, unless I move it forward. You can stay here for decades, and only a few minutes will go by on Avalar."

Malefor, suddenly out of excuses, looks back at the book he truly wants no part of. The last thing he wants to do is read about his mother, not knowing if it was his Dark power that ended her life as well.

"I don't want to..."

"SHUT UP MALEFOR!" Ignitus yells with anger, and places a firm paw upon the King's chest.

"You are staying here, and you are going to read everything I set before your eyes starting with these two books here." He continues with a lowered tone, but still full of anger.

"Now I am going to catch up on the history I MISSED in there, and you will understand your place in history here"

The Chronicle glances back towards the main section of the library, figuring exactly which books to bring him, and shows a slight grin as he returns his eyes to Malefor.

"I will assure you this much your highness, the books you will be reading later are more challenging than yours or your mother's..."

Malefor lower his heads, and Ignitus is quick to his side, lifting his jaw from the ground.

"...however, you will have a better understanding of who you are, the reasons you were chosen, and the PORGRESS the Dragon Realms have made because of this tragedy."

"Progress?" Malefor remarks with a great deal of emotion, looking at Ignitus with no faith in his words. "Show me one book here that says what I did to the Dragon Realms...was Progress."

Ignitus keeps Malefor's jaw firmly in his grasp, and shows a wider smile.

"Well then...I fear you may be here longer than a few months." he says with laughter in his voice, turning the large dragon's head back towards the great library behind them, and showing Malefor all the books that light up with his sudden thought.

"Because every book glowing in that room has been influenced greatly by a certain purple dragon..." The Chronicler returns Malefor's eyes to his before finishing his statement. "...one whose knowledge consists of millions of years of experience, and was given to the population without a single thought of keeping his own superiority."

Malefor suddenly shows a slight smile himself, recalling the crystal he made in Dragonfly Park, and how this gem changed everyone's opinion of the former Dark Master.

"I only wanted the dragon race to learn from my mistakes...I never thought they would accept them"

Malefor suddenly looks over towards the two books before him, staring hardest at his mother's.

"I think I will start with my own past..." he finally says with an uncertain tone, taking his place before the largest book in the entire library. "...I would rather read something I am familiar with."

Ignitus smiles, as Malefor opens the cover of his own book and is immediately enthralled. The powerful book shows his mind a visual of something he's never seen, the hatching of a purple egg, and the first seconds of his life.

"I will bring more your Highness." He says with pure joy, as Malefor is quickly consumed with his parent's emotions, and enjoying a book he thought would be painful to just look upon.

_"Trust me! Every book will be a surprise to you."_


	4. Rude Awakenings

Chapter 4 Rude Awakenings

The subtle rumble of thunder is constant throughout the Library of Time, as a single bolt of lightning is held with the Chronicler's power, filling the room with the light of electricity. For two years this normally instantaneous flash has lit the library, allowing Malefor to read the history of his race while frozen in time.

The purple dragon is enthralled with a single passage and hasn't budged an inch for a full day, consumed with one moment in the history of the pure white book before him.

"Who is that?" He says to himself, unsure of the one symbol he has never seen in any of the thousand books he has read already. It appears several times in Diamond's book, and was the main influence in protecting the Spirit Elder when the Dark Master first arrived in the Dragon Realms.

However, this unknown being was also the reason Malefor was taken, as he practically led the Dark Master to him.

"And why did he do this to me?"

Meanwhile, standing upon a balcony overlooking one of his many subjects, the most powerful being in the entire universe can see the purple dragon's reaction to his symbol, and looks down at one of his many servants.

"Why did you bring him here, Ignitus..." remarks the dragon made of pure light and energy, showing rage building in his white eyes. "...I thought I warned you!"

"Not exactly!" The Chronicler remarks raising a stern paw to his master, and showing his convictions to God.

"You said I could never see Spyro or his sons, and Malefor is neither!"

The large dragon smirks for a second before returning with a slightly angered response.

"Are you trying to test my patience Ignitus?"

The Chronicler stomps his front paws, and shows God an even more angered set of eyes.

"NO MASTER!" He yells, getting Malefor's attention, whom finally takes his eyes from Diamond's book, and looks up at the lone blue dragon standing above him.

"Who are you talking to?" he asks, not seeing the other dragon by the Chronicler's side, and Ignitus shows his rage to the king.

"Keep reading Your Highness!" he barks down, shuttering Malefor with his sudden anger. "You've been here for two years already, and I'm getting tired of explaining to my Master why you are being helped..." Malefor then watches the blue dragon turn towards no one and continue his rant.

"...but I figured this Library was actually built for a reason, Master...and if this isn't a good enough reason for YOU, then I don't understand...WHY I AM HERE!"

The King of the Dragon Realms sits uncomfortably silent, as Ignitus blows his top for no reason, however, his eyes suddenly fill with light and his feelings of uncomfortableness increases.

"By the Ancestors!" He says with barely a voice, as a translucent dragon appears before the Chronicler, then looks down at him.

"It's about time, Ignitus!" The large dragon remarks, never taking his eyes from Malefor, and showing a smile that calms the king to his soul. He then turns his eyes towards a loyal servant, and keeps the same smile.

"I have been waiting for a Chronicler that will stand up to me, and truly believe I have found the right dragon for the job!"

Ignitus does a double take, as his Master opens his clear wings, and leaps from the balcony. He was sure to be in trouble for bring another dragon to the Library, but it was his outburst that he began fearing most. However, a deep sense of pride fills the Chronicler's eyes, as the master of all races stands before the dragon he chose to take on the Dark Master.

"That is me, Malefor!" The mysterious dragon remarks, pointing his Spirited paw towards the unknown symbol in Diamond's book.

"I gave you to him!"

"Why?" He says with pain in his heart, feeling the anguish of what was learned in this last second. The purple dragon is overwhelmed with emotion, realizing his path was set in motion by the First Ancestor himself, and quickly God watches Malefor's soul drop to the ground.

"I had no choice my child." He replies, and before Malefor can feel worse about his life, the perfect dragon places his paw upon the gold chest of a loyal subject.

"_If I hadn't picked you, the Dark Master would have taken Diamond instead..." _

Malefor is shown the past as it could have been, and a dark Spirit Dragon that would have held power beyond anyone's control. The image then expands to the entire Universe, and with one quick flash of blinding light, the Dragon Realms are erased from existence.

"_...I would have had no choice but to eradicate the entire dragon race...and start all over again."_

Suddenly the large purple dragon falls over unconscious, as an overwhelming amount of images are flashed through his head, and his body begins to fade with magic. God quickly feeds a strong thought to one of his children, before sending him away.

"_You are going to find a new destiny now...one that will make things right in your heart."_

"You're sending him back already?" Ignitus remarks with a surprised tone, as Malefor's body completely disappears, and the luminescent dragon shows a bit of anger in his eyes.

"Are you going to question everything I do Ignitus? Or, maybe you think my plan is not good enough."

"NO Master!" the blue dragon remarks with humbleness, bowing before the true King.

"I would never dare question your PLAN!" Ignitus looks up at the large dragon, whom suddenly returns to his normal form, a being of pure light energy, and he shows his master a somber set of eyes.

"I was only hoping to say goodbye before he left, as I know I will never be allowed to see him, or any other dragon for that matter, ever again."

"Is that what you believe my old friend?" The powerful ball of energy remarks, before taking a new shape before one of his watchers.

In human form, God is forced to reach up his hand to the much larger dragon, and places it gently against Ignitus' jaw.

"Then you don't understand yet what it is to be the Guardian of your race, and you're right, I will not let you see Spyro or Malefor until I believe you are ready."

The old man begins walking towards the reflecting pool in the main room of the library. He strides gently atop the shallow waters to the center of the pool, and turns to look at the dragon whose soul is reeling from his last decree.

"Master...please wait!" The Chronicler's voice calls out just as God begins sinking into the mystical waters, and he holds his position.

"Do you think I will ever be ready?"

God's flowing white facial hair shows the signs of a slight grin, and he continues his descent into the reflecting pool, however, his eyes lock upon Ignitus, and his voice is heard inside the blue dragon's soul.

"_When that Time comes Ignitus, you will not need to ask."_

* * *

"Malefor!" A voice calls out, and his eyes slowly begin to open, focusing on the purple dragon directly before him.

"Spyro?" He replies with a confused tone, getting his eyes to open wider, then realizing he is back in the Dragon Realms.

"Easy Malefor...don't get up yet!" Spyro remarks, as the large dragon lifts his head, and begins rising to his haunches.

"I'm fine!" he replies bluntly, brushing Spyro's firm paw from his side.

Malefor gets to his feet in a moment, then loses his balance even faster, falling over on his side once again. Spyro begins to chuckle as the king shakes the cobwebs from his head.

"It takes a minute to get your bearing when you return from the Library of Time." The smaller purple dragon remarks, grasping Malefor's left for arm, and helping him to his feet this time. He holds his friend vertical until he can feel the large dragon take his own weight without a wobble, then looks him dead in the eyes showing a wide smile.

"Trust me! You'll hate that out-of-body feeling that seems to hang around for a while."

Malefor shows no shock in his eyes at Spyro's knowledge of the Library, nor does he show joy in returning home after two years. Only pain is seen in his purple eyes and Spyro picks up on the same look he has when something is not right.

"What is going on Malefor?" he asks, suddenly changing his tone from joy to concern, knowing where the King just came back from. "Is the Dark Master returning? Please, tell me what is happening?"

The larger purple dragon looks down at Spyro and Cynder, and they can see the anguish within his eyes, however, they quickly focus upon the young red dragon still lying by his side, whose own feelings now haunt his mind.

"He just got back!" Malefor remarks bluntly, placing a paw against his chest to gesture at himself. He then brushes Spyro to the side, and makes his way towards the cave's exit.

"Now if you don't mind...I need air!"

"Please don't go!" Cynder calmly requests, placing her paw against the distraught dragon, and getting nothing from his mind.

"I can help you, but you need to let me inside."

"I would like that..." He repiles, then slow removes Cynder's paw from his flank. "...but I don't think I can ask anything more from the dragon that I've taken so much from already."

Malefor returns to his stumble, still unsure of his feet in the real world, heading to the door to get the air he needs, but mostly to get away from Spyro and Cynder. The Spirit Dragon picks up on this last thought, and turns her sharp eyes to her husband, whom also hears this thought.

Spyro is quickly behind the King after this telepathic warning, knowing the emotional unbalance he would experience after returning from this most Holiest of Realms.

"Malefor...Wait!" He barks, picking up his pace to catch the stumbling purple dragon, whose emotions are pure chaos.

"Don't leave yet, you need to talk to us..."

His voice fades fast, as Spyro is forced to follow Malefor outside, and the Spirit Elder becomes concerned feeling the anger rising in both purple dragons

"Stay here baby!" Cynder says to her son, gesturing her head towards the young dragoness, whom has begun shivering again. "Make sure she stays warm, your father and I will be back in a few moments...if we can calm your Uncle down."

Young Malefor nods his head and lays by Mya's side, as Cynder follows her husband out of the room.

"You know I turn ten years old today Mom!" he remarks aloud, replenishing the fire Malefor had started, and looking at the red dragoness as she stops shivering. Weird feelings he's never had before begin to consume him, as he has just reached that age, and his eyes snap back to the door.

"I'm not a BABY anymore!"

Cynder smiles as she can hear Malefor's thoughts, both aloud and with hard emotion, however that smile fades fast, and her eyes return forward to the sensation of anger that is intensifying outside.

"Stop it you two!" She barks out with rage, suddenly seeing Malefor's paw holding Spyro down on his back with great force.

Cynder slams the larger dragon with a powerful gust of wind, and Malefor is knocked off balance, allowing Spyro the leverage to push him the rest of the way over. The smaller purple dragon is quickly up on his feet, and across Malefor's neck, holding him down with force.

"Easy Your Highness..." He yells in Malefor's ear. "...I just said you need time to reflect upon what you learned."

"I can't Spyro, I just cannot do what he asked!"

Cynder, seeing her husband is struggling to keep Malefor down, begins overwhelming the large dragon with a heavy dose of Spiritual Energy, and quickly the king begins to settle under Spyro's frame. After a few moments the smaller purple dragon can feel a more stable rhythm within his friend's heart, and he eases up from Malefor's flank. Spyro then grasps the King's left front paw, and helps him back to his haunches.

"Are you OK NOW?" The purple dragon asks with a bit of caution and also some sarcasm.

Malefor nods his head and turns to the dragoness that calmed his overwhelming emotions.

"Yes...I think so...Thank You Cynder." He replies, however, he quickly pauses and turns is eyes back to Spyro. The last two years begin to consume him again, and he tells his best friend how he really feels inside.

"But in truth Spyro...I have never felt worse!"

Spyro lowers his head, as he begins to understand what a dragon, that had killed so many, must have read about in his dark past.

"Please Malefor, We cannot help unless you tell us what is bothering you?"

The King suddenly becomes angry again, but keeps his outburst to only a hard voice.

"Everything!" He barks bluntly, startling Spyro and Cynder, but he holds his emotions in check this time.

"I thought I had done so much in the last ten years to correct the mistakes I made, but the damage I caused is much more than I had ever expected."

Malefor looks back towards the cave, envisioning the young dragoness that he thought would bring him joy, and now only pain fills his heart.

"My entire family despises me Spyro, living in shame for fifty-seven generations on a planet far from here. Escaping the wrath of their DARK ancestor...Malefor."

The two dragons beside him show great anguish words, and that is when Malefor quickly turns his eyes towards Spyro, and talks of a different pain.

"The only family I have left is not even mine..." Malefor lowers his head as his thoughts return to the third book he read, and the first one that truly hurt to finish. "...and now I know how much that really bothers you Spyro!"

The smaller purple dragon suddenly shows fear in his eyes, as all the lies he has told his friend, are returned in one very uneasy stare from Malefor.

"I never wanted you or Sparx to find out." He says, realizing the anger he had for Sparx' foster father was apparent, but he only confided that to his wife. Years of anger that he would bottle up, never allowing anyone to see his true feelings. However, he knew that it was not his decision, and that is what hurt him the most.

"He would stop talking to you...if he knew how much it bothered me!"

"WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING TO HIM THEN?"

Malefor's voice shakes the ground, but this time it doesn't startle the smaller purple dragon, as he was expecting this kind of response to his deception.

Spyro, despite the pain in his heart, raises his head and tries to smile.

"Because he is your son as well, Malefor." The purple dragon replies quickly, showing an uncomfortable look in his eyes, speaking of how Sparx was once under the King's care.

"I don't care how much it bothers me. I will never take that from my boy, nor will I express my dislike to him about it...EVER!"

"Well, you just did Dad!" A voice replies from behind a large tree, by the mouth of Spyro's cave, and all three dragons look upon the one they call their son.

"SPARX!" Spyro cries out with total surprise in seeing his oldest standing before him, believing his son was still on a mission.

Covered from head to tail in his Skylander armor, the nearly twenty year old dragon removes his gold helmet, showing the two-toned purple colors that represent his mother and father. His purple eyes stay locked upon Spyro, waiting for his father's next words with eagerness. However, as his true father remains silent with surprise, the young dragon starts the conversation himself.

"I finished ahead of schedule, so I decided to come home early and surprise Malefor for his tenth birthday...SURPRISE!"

Spyro, still dumbfounded at the look in his son's eyes, lowers his head and finally opens his mouth.

"I'm sorry Sparx..."

"Sorry that you said it, or sorry that I heard it!"

Spyro pauses again, as his son cuts him off with the real emotion he is feeling, that of anger and rage, and he answers with very little confidence in his voice.

"Both."

"However..." Spyro continues after another uncomfortable pause, looking upon his son with the emotions he has locked up for over a decade.

"...I am not sorry that I have these feelings Sparx. I only have them because you are alive."

Spyro looks at his wife, and she smiles seeing the last dark shadow of her husband's aura, begin fading after ten years locked inside, as he opens his heart about the one thing in his life that had bothered him.

"You love me Sparx...I know that, and no matter what that will never change..." He remarks, getting strength from his Cynder's eyes, before turning towards Malefor. "...but I also know that he loves you the same way, because I see that look in his eyes when he's with...his other father."

Spyro places a strong paw upon Malefor's shoulder, and pulls him muzzle to muzzle.

"You gave me my son, so deal with the fact that I hate you for enjoying his childhood..." he remarks with a solid voice, digging his claws into Malefor's scales, and showing great conviction within his purple eyes.

"...but know that the rest of his life is something I will get to enjoy...because of what you did."

Spyro and Malefor stare at each other, reading one another like a book, and see the same acceptance in the eyes they know well.

Cynder watches the aura of both powerful dragons return to normal, as well as Sparx, whose lineage leans more towards his mother, allowing him to see the Spirit of his fathers. The nearly full adult dragon strides up to Spyro and Malefor, then sits calmly on his hind quarters looking at both with a now suspicious pair of eyes.

"Soooo...does anyone want to tell me what is going on?" He remarks snidely, continuing to stare at his fathers, while placing his right wing over Cynder's back to embrace his mother.

"I mean, I never thought I'd see you two fighting again." Sparx continues, before turning his attention to Cynder. "And you are obviously distracted as well Mom, because I noticed how startled you were with my presence, not sensing me until after I said something."

All three look at him for a moment, waiting for the other to begin speaking, however, when no one begins, once again Sparx decides to open his mouth first.

"You know I love suspense..." He remarks sarcastically, and shows his foster-father a smug grin. "...I get that from you, Dad!"

His eyes then quickly focus upon Spyro, and he shows a bit of anger.

"However, from my father, I got this elemental skill set that I have honed over the years, and with it, I WILL BEAT THE BOTH OF YOU SENSELESS IF SOMEONE DOESN'T START TALKING NOW!"

Spyro and Malefor's eyes open wide with shock at their son's outburst, and though they know he is only kidding, they do not test him, also knowing he can do it.

"Well I can definitely hear the Cynder in him!" Malefor remarks quickly, breaking the tension with a fast joke that gets Spyro and Sparx to laugh, but a dirty look from the darker colored dragoness.

"Now...to answer your question...I just returned from a long visit, with a fiery old friend."

The young dragon shows confusion, but Spyro does not, and his tail begins to wag with excitement.

"Ignitus is still up there!" Spyro blurts out with joy in his voice, and Malefor just winks his eye at the smaller purple dragon, acknowledging the fact his former Mentor is still the Keeper of the Dragon's History.

Spyro's oldest also smiles, hearing the name that his father talks about a lot, and knowing his place in the Realm of the Gods.

"Oh I think I get it now, you visited the Chronicler, and are just having issues with your past lif..."

Sparx voice drops off mid-thought, as his senses pick up on a heavy Spiritual disturbance, and both he and his mother snap their attention to the cave.

"MALEFOR!" He barks with fear, as his brother's energy level drops hard, and a new one begins building up beside him. He darts after his mother, whom already started running full speed towards her home, sensing her child is taking a sudden and severe beating.

"She's gonna kill him!" Cynder cries with pure fear, sending the emotion she can feel to her husband and King Malefor with a strong thought. They also feel Mya's energy building up with great rage, and quickly Malefor becomes terrified.

"Oh no!" He remarks to Spyro, showing the young father a fear-filled look. "She saw me with Cynder and your son yesterday."

"SO!" Spyro replies, as both purple dragons begin running to the cave.

"I read her book Spyro..." he remarks with concern, picking up his pace as the cobwebs of his out-of-body experience fade away, but not the memories.

"...She still thinks I'm the Dark Master, and would relish any opportunity to exact revenge upon me in some way."

"OH!" The young purple dragon replies, realizing Mya may mistake his son's lineage, and finally understanding his friend's concern.

"That's not good!"

* * *

"Baby...Huh!" Young Malefor continues ranting, staring at the fire that is now a roaring inferno, as anger brings stronger elemental power.

"When do you stop calling me that Mom?" he asks with a rage-filled voice, of course while she's out of the room, then looks up at his brother's portrait hanging beside his.

"She never calls you that anymore...Does she?" he continues, knowing he took that moniker from his brother the moment he was born.

"This is my oldest boy Sparx..." He remarks, making his voice sound a bit raspy like his mother's, and gesturing his paw towards the portrait of himself. "...and this is my BABY!"

Malefor shakes his head back and forth, and looks up at his brother again.

"It's sad when I don't even have a name sometimes."

Suddenly a loud thump shakes the ground, taking Malefor's attention to the front of the cave, and the shouting now coming from his father and uncle.

"Mom...Dad!" he says cautiously, sensing the trouble from outside, and taking a few steps in that direction. He holds by the door, knowing his parents would be angry if he left Mya alone, or interfered while the adults were arguing. However, he also feels the urgency from his Spiritual side, and takes another step towards the cave exit.

Suddenly a moan from behind stops his feet, and Malefor turns his attention towards the fire dragoness sleeping on his bed of cushions. The young dragon's eyes open wide, as Mya's black wings begin to expand out from her sides, a tell-tale sign she is waking. Malefor glances towards the mouth of the cave again, and though he still feels the tension from his mother and father, he turns back to the dragoness he was told to keep an eye on.

As Mya slowly awakens from her long slumber, Malefor lays before her and smiles seeing the reddish-purple eyes that kept him up all night.

"Good Morning!" he says nervously, startling the red dragoness, whom quickly jumps to her feet and backs away with fear.

"AHHH! Where did you come from?" Mya cries out with shock, however, her eyes quickly focus upon the dragon she was dreaming about, recalling the last moments of her rescue from Lord Cypher.

"It's really you...isn't it?"

Malefor can see the confusion in her eyes, and remains calm to keep her at ease.

"Yup...I'm really me!" He replies with a sarcastic tone, and smiles to the young red dragon, who does not return the gesture.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to make a joke" Malefor remarks more seriously, as her eyes begin to show anger, and he realizes how traumatized this young dragon must be.

"My Mom and Dad are will be along in a minute to help you..." he says, then suddenly hears a grumble that is familiar to him. "...but I can get you something to eat if you wish."

Mya's stomach hurts from lack of food, something she hasn't had in days. However, her eyes remain focused hard upon the purple and gold dragon, and only rage consumes her mind.

"Get away from me!" She barks, and Malefor shows more confusion, as the anger he sees in her eyes increases with hatred.

The young purple dragon makes the mistake of stepping forward to calm her, and Mya suddenly feels cornered. The young red dragoness leaps towards the slightly smaller purple dragon, and slashes Malefor across the face with her talons.

The youngest son of Spyro is caught off guard by this attack, and takes the full impact of her claws to his right cheek. Malefor falls to the ground with the force, and grasps his muzzle in pain. His eyes open wide seeing the blood seeping out from between his claws, however, his shock is intensified as Mya leaps upon his back. Her tail quickly wraps around his hind legs, holding them together, and her right forearm latches around his throat.

"YOU WILL TAKE ME TO THE DARK MASTER..." She yells, placing her open paw on Malefor's golden horn, and torquing his head to the right. "...OR I SWEAR I WILL SNAP YOUR NECK!"

Malefor struggles to hold his head steady, but does not fight back. He could easily remove the red dragoness from his back with force, but doesn't, feeling Mya is an emotional wreck, and the last statement only proves she is not in her right mind.

"The Dark Master is dead!" Malefor replies with a raspy voice, trying to speak as clear as possible, but Mya tightens her grip around his throat.

"YOU LIE! I SAW HIM!" She screams in his ear, recalling the large dragon she saw flying beside Cynder, and recognizing him from an image burned into her memory since childhood.

"Now I know why my mother told me we could never go back..." Mya continues with a more confident tone, recalling the last words spoken by her mother, and not understanding why until now. "...The Dark Master still has control of the Dragon Realms, because he is immortal..."

The scared red dragoness adds more force to Malefor's twisted neck. "But I'm gonna bet his BABY isn't!"

"BABY!" He yelps, but Mya squeezes his throat harder, silencing his voice again.

The youngest son of Spyro can feel Mya's forearm press harder against his Adams-apple, but before his eyes can tear up from a lack of oxygen, they see his rescue coming.

"NO SPARX!" He screams out, ripping his right paw from Mya's grasp and holding it up towards the door.

Mya looks towards the entrance herself and shock fills her eyes seeing a dark two-toned purple dragon charging at her. However, just as Sparx leaps to tackle the dragoness assaulting his brother, Mya suddenly drops several feet to the ground.

The young dragoness is surprised herself as Malefor disappears beneath her frame, and more so as her body splashes into a puddle of water that was left behind. She is then overwhelmed with fear as her paw is grasped by a stone claw coming up from the ground.

"PLEASE STOP!" A grumbling voice calls out from the floor, and Mya's eyes open wide as the ground begins rising up into the form of the dragon she was just choking.

"No one is going to hurt you, I promise..." The stone dragon remarks, placing a solid paw against her cheek with a gentle touch. "...but you must calm down...MYA!"

"How do you know my name?" She replies with great fear in her voice, knowing now she is completely outclassed by the dragon before her.

"Because he is my son, and thoughts are easy to read when a dragon is emotional!"

This slightly raspy female's voice is familiar, and Mya's eyes lock upon the dark purple and red dragoness that tried saving her life on Lord Cypher's ship.

Mya suddenly becomes overwhelmed with sadness, believing she will be forced to face the Dark Master. She lowers down to her haunches, showing young Malefor a very sad set of eyes.

"Please let me go...I will leave the Dragon Realms and never return...I promise." She cries, and the young stone dragon, still with his paw upon her cheek, feels the uncomfortable pain inside her soul.

"I don't want to be his slave!"

"Slave?" He asks with confusion, turning to look at his brother, whom is still trying to understand what is going on himself.

"Is she talking about you, Sparx?"

"NO Malefor..." The King's voice turns both young dragons' attention to the door, and Mya begins shuttering harder with fear.

"...she's talking about me!"

Mya's shuttering increases as the purple and gold dragon, whose image is embedded in her memories, begins striding towards her, and she cringes as the Dark Master stops before her.

King Malefor suddenly sees an image of the perfect dragon that took him by the heart in the Library of Time, and the single request he made before coming home.

"_She is your destiny now my child, make it right, and I will grant the one thing your heart desires!"_

"I am the slave here Mya...not you!" He says, then lowers his head down to hers, showing the young dragoness the one thing that he knows is different from the image that haunts the red book he read.

"Look into my eyes..." He continues, and Mya's jaw lowers to the ground. She can see his purple irises, and not the evil yellow and black eyes that frightened her every time she gazed at the picture her mother keeps locked away.

"...By the ancestors I swear I will do what must be done to prove myself to you."


	5. Different Perspectives

**Sorry about the delay, was kinda busy this week at work. The boss is trying to move my company into the 21st century, and it's not going well...LOL**

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Chapter 5: Different Perspectives

Anger fills the eyes of the red dragoness being towed against her will, however, she no longer struggles to break the grasp of the one carrying her. The fight was impossible to begin with, as the Spirit Elder's strength was enough to subdue the younger female, but it is Cynder's power that keeps Mya's emotions in check.

No matter how much they tried to explain Malefor's resurrection from the Dark Master's enslavement, Mya would not believe a word, remaining defensive against all around her. It was Cynder who took matters into her own paws, grasping Mya with a solid embrace. Overwhelming the youngster with calming energy, while understanding the fear within her soul, The Spirit Elder removed Mya from the intense situation within her home.

The Spirit Elder decided the best course of action was to show Mya the truth, and took her from the Valley of Avalar to the north, towards New Warfang. The only place where she can prove Malefor's innocence.

Now flying through the thick foliage of the Forbidden Forest, Cynder totes the red dragon underneath with a firm but gentle grip of her paws.

"I don't care what you try to show me!" She barks with rage at the other dragon that joined the group with Cynder's order, and the one whom makes this youngster so angry.

"I know you have many followers Dark Master, because your power forces them into following you!"

Malefor can see the hate building in Mya's eyes, and he turns to Cynder with a concern for her increasing hostility.

"I think you may need to calm her down again, Great Elder!" He remarks with a half-hearted smile, but Cynder shakes her head no.

"I want this dragon to see with her own soul, Malefor." She replies, knowing her power would only influence Mya to believe what the Spirit Elder wants.

"Mya has to feel the emotions in the city without my help... "She continues, then cranes her head down to look into the eyes of the one she is holding. "...only then will she understand that we are not lying to her."

The young dragoness can see only truth in Cynder's green eyes, but still turns her head away in defiance. Her heart is in such turmoil, that it begins to pain the Spirit Elder herself, however, Cynder continues to follow the wide path Spyro made years ago, knowing what awaits for this young dragon to witness around the next grove of trees.

Visions of darkness and despair have shown themselves to the Spirit Elder, as Mya's mind tries to picture the Dragon City, a city that must be darkened under the tight grip of a tyrant. However, as Spyro's wife clears the final turn, Mya's heart suddenly begins to race.

"Oh my Goodness!" She remarks with shock in her voice, as the top of the Dragon's Palace comes into view for the first time, still miles away.

New Warfang's glorious center-piece is visible even further away, but the dense forest keeps her hidden from the south. Cynder feels an overwhelming moment in Mya's soul, as her mind races with incredible wonder, but not just for a simple building.

"Look at them all!" She continues with startled expression, as hundreds of dragons enter and leave the city from the air, and all free to come and go as they please. Within seconds she sees more dragons than she has seen in half a life time, and the Spirit dragon smiles with her.

However, a quick image is taken by Cynder at this exact moment, as a dark piece of her history suddenly brings the joy to a halt.

"_What is the Great Purge?"_ She asks with a concerned thought, and Mya's eyes snap towards the Spirit Elder's.

"NO! I don't want to talk about it!" She replies aloud, recalling the darkest moment of her life in a flash of memories, and Malefor can hear the tension in Mya's voice.

"What's the matter?" The king asks, and the little red fire-breather turns her head towards the large purple dragon she despises, showing him a look of anger.

"Nothing you care about I'm sure... just the day all of the dragons you drove away were killed!" She barks with anger, trying to keep her rage focused, showing no remorse for the Dark Master's feelings. However, she quickly notices the look in his eyes change, and Mya becomes uneasy.

Malefor is completely aware of the Great Purge, reading about it in Mya and her mother's book, and knowing they believed all the remaining dragons that fled the Dark Master are dead. He shows the anguish within his soul, and like her mother's eyes the day she ran away, Mya watches the concerned stare leave for a more painful expression, and his eyes begin to glisten with tears.

Cynder feels Mya shutter with emotion, and gives the young dragoness a small touch of soothing energy, making sure she is calm for one last plea to her character.

Something the Spirit dragon knows is strong inside this youngster.

"_You're doing exactly what you had hoped to do. He is in great pain as you can see." _She says, making Mya suddenly sense his emotions, and the nausea he is feeling in how she is reacting to him.

"_He only wants to talk to you, so I'm asking you to listen."_

"_I don't know if I can!"_

Cynder lowers her head slightly, hearing the voice of Mya's soul speaking so clearly, realizing this will be a hard task to convince a dragon whose hatred of Malefor is so intensely burned into her heart. However, an idea comes to her mind, and a single creature that could be instrumental in proving her anger will only cause more pain to both of them.

"Malefor...would you mind if I took Mya to meet Governor Silverson?" She remarks, and the King quickly shows more anguish for the Cheetah that would kill him in a second if given the chance.

"Do you think it is a good idea to show Mya more reasons to be angry with me Cynder?" Malefor replies with a bit sarcasm in his voice, wondering why the Spirit Elder would bring her to the one that hates him the most. Hatred that consumes the lone survivor of a family wiped out in the war.

Cynder quickly smiles, and looks down upon her precious cargo.

"I want Mya to hear the same voice of hatred that is making her decisions so cloudy."

Suddenly a feeling of excitement fills Mya's heart, and Cynder turns her head to see what has caught the young girl's attention. See was sure this joy was brought on with the idea to leave the dragon she hates behind. However, that is not the case at all. A half a dozen dragons have begun heading in their direction, and with an eager curiosity, Mya stares upon the new faces and colors she has never witnessed before in her lifetime.

The approaching family is also surprised, encountering the King and Spyro's wife heading into the city, and Mya gets a spontaneous lesson about her dark family member before even reaching New Warfang's wall.

"King Malefor!" Several children bark as they approach with reckless abandon, piling upon the left flank of the large purple dragon, and hugging the massive king the best they can.

"Hello Wattson, Flame, Kelvin..." Malefor replies, gently stroking their heads with his giant paws, and showing the best smile he has left inside. "...are you heading for Spyro's house already?"

"Yup...and we're gonna get their first!" the three young dragons reply, all excitedly heading to Malefor's birthday party, however, they quickly look at Cynder with a bit of surprise.

"It is today? Right Ms. Cynder!" Asks a bewildered Kelvin, the oldest son of Excelcius and Ampere, and the one who talks as much as his Electric powered mother.

Cynder nods her head up and down, calming his aura quickly, and Kelvin looks down for only a second before asking another question.

"So where are you guys going then?" he bluntly requests from the mother and uncle of the birthday-dragon. "The Valley of Avalar is back the way you came, and I'm pretty sure you don't get lost in the Forbidden Forest anymore!"

Cynder laughs and holds Mya up in her arms a little further, showing off the new dragoness to Malefor's friends.

"This young lady forgot her present at home, so were trying to getting another one before the party starts." She says, keeping them in the dark about her real problems, so not to embarrass Mya any more than she feels already.

"I told her it would be fine, but she really felt bad about not having a gift for Malefor."

Mya becomes a bit surprised at Cynder's bold-faced lie, and is about to voice her opinion, when the three youngster quickly leave the King's side and surround her.

"It's OK!" They tell Mya together, seeing she is upset, and showing a dragoness they've never met nothing but kindness.

"I can give you one of the presents that I got him!" The youngest dragon remarks, reaching into the satchel around his yellow neck, and removing a small package with a bow.

"It's not a big gift, but I think he will like this one the most."

Mya suddenly shows the beginnings of a smile, and all three younger dragons wag their tails in unison.

"Why would you do that?" She asks with complete surprise, looking upon the smiles of the three yellow and red whelplings, before sheepishly grasping the gift in her right paw.

Mya is in total disbelief, staring into the yellow eyes of Wattson, as she has never seen a dragon of his color before, nor has she felt the surge of electric power that is pulsing around his joy-filled frame. The Fire dragoness is in awe with the way the energy flows up her own paw, but causes no pain, as its power is limited to the young dragon's age. However, it is his poise the strikes her the most, and the words that come easily from his mouth.

"Because King Malefor taught me and my brothers that helping others in need... is the best way to make new friends!" He bluntly remarks, looking over to the large purple and gold dragon and giving him a heavily pronounced wink.

Malefor smiles himself, knowing a lesson taught at the Young Dragon's Academy, just a week earlier, has already come back to pay dividends.

"That's right Wattson, but I'm sure it wasn't just my teachings that influenced you... was it?" He says proudly, then looks upon the young boy's parents with eager eyes, showing gratitude to a pair of friendly faces as they approach the hovering group.

"Good Morning Master Guardian... My Lady." He greets them as usual, gently bowing his head to both dragons with respect, and they do the same for the king. Malefor then looks over towards New Warfang, and quickly shows a wide grin.

"Is my city still in one piece or did Cyril drive everyone to violence in one day?"

The Fire Guardian shows a very snide grin himself, and looks back towards his wife, whom also has a large smirk upon on her face.

"I think the Manweresmalls are about to storm the palace!" Excelcius remarks, unable to stop the laughter from filling his voice at the end, knowing the situation the snobby Ice Guardian has placed himself in.

"Yeah, The 'Ice King' decide to retool their schedule for no reason." Ampere, Head of the Palace Guard, adds with a chuckle of her own, and both Malefor and Cynder begin laughing at this nickname, knowing the blue-blood dragon has delusions of grandeur when given control of the city.

Malefor rolls his eyes, knowing he should have picked Volteer for the day, but he didn't care at that moment, feeling Mya's pulse from across the sea. He quickly swore in the Ice Guardian, and left with no regard to anything except the life force he felt weaken, as Mya began to drown in the harbor.

However, the King's thoughts return to the moment at hand as Ampere asks a question that is more important to him than the city itself.

"Who is this young lady, Malefor?" Asks Excelcius' wife, gesturing her yellow paw to the red dragon held in Cynder's arms, and Mya lowers her head. She can see concern fill the little dragon's face, and quickly Ampere places a paw upon her chin, lifting it up to show her own concern.

"Are you OK?"

Mya shakes her head no, but remains silent with confusion, oddly feeling unable to voice her dislike in the company around her.

"Could you guys leave us alone..." Cynder remarks, hearing Mya's thoughts as clear as a bell, then looking over at the three younger dragons. "...I need to talk to your parents for a moment."

"Yes Ms. Cynder!" The three young children reply in unison again, taking off towards the Valley of Avalar. However, the yellow whelpling stops, and turns back to say something that is on his mind.

"I promise he will like that gift..."

Wattson stops talking, staring up at the Spirit Elder whom quickly answers his question.

"...Mya? That's a pretty name!" He continues with a smile, then looks at her trembling paw holding the gift he gave her.

"He loves those kinda mushrooms..." The young dragon says, then looks at the Great Elder and smiles wider. "...but just don't let his dad see them first, or Malefor won't get any!"

Cynder, the King, and Wattson's parents begin laughing, as Spyro's love of mushrooms is known throughout Avalar, even by a three-year old. They watch happily as the little yellow dragon flies of with a grand smile, chasing his older brothers into the forest.

Mya's eyes look upon the package in her pars, and quickly a powerful thought is heard by the Great Elder. Cynder hugs the young dragon tightly and answers Mya's sudden desire with a single word.

"_Later!" _

"So what's wrong?" Ampere asks, as her three youngster disappear into the Forbidden Forest, knowing they were the reason for the Spirit Elder's silence.

"This dragon thinks Malefor is still the Dark Master!" Cynder replies without delay, and both dragons show shock.

"Where has she been...the Outer Realms or something?" Excelcius remarks with a chuckle in his voice, and quickly several sets of eyes begin to burn through him, but mostly King Malefor's take his attention.

"As a matter of fact, she is from the Outer Realms!" He retorts with a tone of anger, making the smaller Fire Guardian cower with fear and embarrassment.

"What kind of Guardian are you?" Ampere barks with a more snide tone, slapping the back of his head with her left wing, hearing such an insensitive comment from her husband.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to be rude..." He replies quickly, rubbing the pain from his noggin. He then turns to Mya, showing sincerity in his red eyes, truly feeling bad about the last comment he made.

"...I just didn't know there were any dragons living outside of the Skylands or Avalar."

"It's OK Mr... I mean, Master Guardian..." Mya replies, looking down at the package his son gave her, before turning a pair of broken eyes towards Malefor. "...there are a lot of things I need to learn about too..."

The young red dragoness returns her eyes to the city and suddenly smiles, wondering what else she might learn, and not fearing it any longer.

"...and I'm eager to start."

Cynder can hear an actual moment of clarity in her mind, and she shows the king a smile.

"Why don't you go save Cyril from the Manweresmalls, Your Highness..." The Spirit Elder remarks with a proud smile, and releases Mya from her grasp. She turns her attentions to Excelcius and Ampere, not showing any concern to the one she was holding on tightly, knowing Mya is not going to run off now.

"...Don't tell anyone that you ran into us...I don't want them coming here to interfere with I am going to show her."

Malefor bows to the Great Elder, as does the Fire Guardian and his wife, and quickly they take off in different directions, Malefor towards the Palace and the parents into the Forbidden Forest.

"OK Mya. I think we need to find the Governor of New Warfang first, and let him meet the newest dragon on Avalar." Cynder remarks with a more solid tone, flapping her wings several times to gain momentum, and heading towards the northern side of the city. "I want him to find a place for you to live, before we head back."

Mya quickly follows after Cynder, hearing her words, and suddenly feeling a great deal of fear.

"You mean I can't stay with you and...Malefor!" Cynder stops immediately, hearing the name she said without anger in her voice, and quickly realizes Mya is referring to her son. A well of pride fills a mother's heart, knowing her son made a lasting impression with his kindness, regardless of how upset Mya was at the time.

"Of course! You can stay with us for a few weeks, because it will take Silverson that long to find a nice spot to build a new home for two!"

Mya again becomes concerned, but before she can ask another question, Cynder takes off towards the North end of the city again.

"HEY!" The little red dragoness barks, quickly giving chase to the fast Spirit Dragon, and Cynder is stunned as Mya catches up to her in only a few seconds.

"What do you mean two?"

The fastest dragon on Avalar is so shocked at her speed, that she freezes up for a second before answering.

"Wow! That's some incredible speed you posses Mya." Cynder remarks after the surprise wares off, just as both dragons clear the north wall of the city and enter New Warfang's residential area. However, it is at this moment, Mya completely loses her focus of what she was talking about, as only the movement of the masses below has taken her attention.

"Those are not dragons!" She barks aloud, and Cynder quickly chuckles, looking down at the workers that make New Warfang possible.

"They are Manweresmalls, and they built this city for us." Cynder remarks, waving at all the small creatures that cheer her name as she flies over head. "And they will be the ones that make your new home."

Mya again feels the need to ask questions, however, Cynder has already begun to descend into the Northern Square of New Warfang. When they land, the two dragons are immediately surrounded by thousands of these mole-like creatures, and everyone with a depressed look to greet the Dragon Elder.

"Ms. Cynder...a word if you please!" A singular voice barks out, and the Spirit Dragoness turns her eyes to one Manweresmall in particular.

"Mason...is everything alright?" She asks, seeing the anger written upon everyone's face, and knowing they are not happy about something.

"Can you tell Malefor to get back to the Palace, before I kill Cyril myself!"

Cynder begins laughing hysterically, and places a gentle paw upon the helmet of her close friend. She gives off a small chilling burst of her energy, soothing the heat of anger within the mob of angry moles.

"He is already back in the Palace Mason, and I promise he will not leave Cyril in charge again, but it was very important for him to leave the city." Cynder removes her paw from Mason, and places it on Mya's left shoulder.

"He had something more important to take care of."

Mason lowers his head, and gestures to the rest of the group to calm down, which they do immediately hearing the King has returned.

"Well thank the Ancestor's he's back, because I don't know how much longer I could have kept these guys from storming the Palace."

Cynder laughs again, and Mya feeling the emotions from Cynder's paw, also shows a wide smile.

"Who is this young lady?" Mason remarks, also enthralled by her smile, offering his small hand to greet her proper.

"This is..." Cynder begins to say, but the young dragon is quick to answer the question herself.

"My name is Mya..." the young dragon remarks, taking the small paw of the Manweresmall, and shaking it gentle like, so not to hurt the tiny creature she's never laid eyes on before.

"...and it is nice to meet you...Mr. Mason."

The old Manweresmall blushes with her kind greeting, as her voice is more beautiful than the dragoness herself. He quickly lowers his head with embarrassment, feeling upset about how he was acting.

"I'm sorry you had to hear such anger young lady...I hate when I get like that."

Mya places her paw under Mason's small jaw lifting it up with a single talon, and smiling to his face.

"I understand...I'm angry too!"

Mason balks for a moment, staring into her eyes, and seeing nothing to suggest her attitude is bitter.

"I don't see any anger my dear." he says with a stern voice, lowering a Jeweler's Loop over his left eye, allowing his limited vision to see everything more clearly.

"I only see joy and wonder!"

Cynder smiles, hearing the way Mason is calming her further, and seeing the young dragoness' aura begin brightening, feeling safe in her surroundings for the first time. However, a sudden voice cuts through the joy.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" This voice barks with rage, and Cynder's eyes quickly find the angry cheetah they came to see.

"I am not interested in whatever you want to say...Terror of the Sky!"

Pain begins to fill the Spirit Dragon's soul, hearing the name this cheetah always calls her, feeling the same rage towards her that he does towards Malefor. This pain is transferred to Mya, whom breaks her connections with Cynder, feeling the struggle inside the dark-colored dragoness' spirit.

"Who is that?" Mya calls out, and Mason turns his eyes to New Warfang's governor, as he enters the Northern square.

"Cynder...I think it's wise for you to leave now" Mason remarks with concern, seeing the depression overtake Cynder's eyes, however, she takes a deep breath before showing her resolve again.

"Not today Mason, I have to talk to him." She replies with conviction, then looks down at Mya. "I need his help to find a new home in the city."

"I can do that! You don't need to keep being hurt by that bastard's callus words."

Mya begins feeling a bit of concern again, as Cynder continues to stare down the approaching cheetah.

"No words could possibly cause the same pain I caused him." She replies, unable to stop the single tear from flowing down her cheek, remembering a moment in her life that ruined his.

"I killed his family."

Mya stares at Cynder with stunned confusion, as the two now stand face to face before her, and only the peaceful dragon's last word are all that consume her thoughts.

"You killed his family?" Mya asks with surprise, turning to the large creature she has never seen the likes of before, and the cheetah turns his angered pair of eyes to her.

"Who is this young dragon?" He asks with a slightly calmer tone to his voice, but still fired-up with rage. He keeps his eyes focused upon Mya, watching her cower with his aggressive attitude, and noticing something familiar about her reaction.

"Please, don't be afraid. I'm not angry at you." He continues, feeling slightly upset as Mya stays down to the ground. The young red dragoness keeps her posture defensive, forcing the angry cheetah to calm himself down completely, regardless of how badly he wants to explode with rage at Cynder.

"I'm sorry that we came unannounced Governor Silverson." The Spirit Elder returns, looking down at the gray-haired cheetah with a sincere look in her eyes. "I had only wished that you can find this youngster a new home in the city."

"OH!" He remarks with a tone of surprise in his voice, placing his paw upon Mya's head to calm her, seeing the fear still in her eyes. However, it is at this moment the Governor can tell to whom he is looking at, and quickly his nerves become shaky. He can see the eyes of his enemy before him, as Mya shows him the same fear Malefor normally does.

"I didn't know you were here for business matters Great Elder, I apologize for my rage in the company of this youngster."

The Governor quickly turns towards his home and looks back to the young red dragoness with a forced smile. "It's OK young lady, I promise not to raise my voice again!"

Mya is shocked at this cheetah's sudden change of heart and looks up at Cynder with more confusion.

"_He is good leader, and kind to everyone."_ She remarks with thought and places a paw upon Mya's right flank, helping her to follow the Governor. But the real reason, to hear what she is thinking.

"_He will only show you his generosity, but do not tell him what you learned about yourself today..."_

Mya cautiously strides beside the Governor, overwhelmed with what she has witnessed in the last day, but the Spirit Elder's last thought strikes a cold reality within her heart.

"_...he will not welcome a child of Malefor's into his home."_

"But I'm not his child!" Mya barks out, and Governor Silverson stops just before the door to his mansion.

"What are you two talking about behind my back?" The old Cheetah remarks, knowing Cynder's abilities to speak in thought, and without turning around, he can see the stunned look that takes their faces as he answers his own question.

"Could it be not to tell me...that she is Malefor's daughter?"

Governor Silverson glances back slightly and smiles as Cynder's look of exasperation is excatly what he expected. However, Mya's face shows pure anger, and her voice is even more proof to her rage.

"I AM NOT HIS DAUGHTER!"

The Governor balks, hearing her tone so sure, and her eyes solid with resolve.

"No, I guess I'm wrong about that!" He replies, and shows a wider smile as he strides up to the red dragoness with nearly the same purple eyes he despises. "However, you are related to him in some way...I can see that with great ease my little friend."

Silverson balks when Mya's eyes quickly change, showing deep depression, and her voice proves her emotional state again.

"Yes I am..." She replies with a crack in her voice, lowering her head down with what she has been told before by her mother, and now seeing the truth in person. "...but please don't call him my father."

Mya stands up on her hind legs, and looks down at the stunned Cheetah Leader with her own rage towards Malefor

"...because my father was a hero, not an evil monster."

The Governor stares into her eyes, and places his paw upon her broadened shoulder, then gives the young dragoness a wide grin.

"Please, come inside, Mya..." he remarks, gesturing his other paw towards the door. "...I would love to talk with you some more, and while doing that, maybe we can find a nice plot overlooking Dragonfly Park."

Mya quickly runs inside, feeling a sudden attachment to this cheetah warrior, and wanting to hear the opinion of someone who opposes Malefor. She has heard only one side, and it is against what she has been told her whole life by her mother.

Cynder is beside herself, seeing the way this cheetah and the former Dark Master's kin are connecting. However, his next actions floor her with no understanding of why.

"Will you join us Great Elder?" He remarks, and shows a neutral pair of eyes to the dragoness he loathes. "I don't want her to feel uncomfortable, and for some reason she trusts you!"

The Governor lowers his own head for a moment, recalling the only time Cynder stepped inside his home, and that was the day an apology, that he would never accept, was given.

"Maybe I can find that reason too!"

Cynder's aura explodes with his words, hearing a chance to be forgiven by a soul that keeps her awake some nights. It becomes so bright, that even the Governor himself can see the joy within her heart, as Cynder's dark purple scales begin to shade white with her Spiritual Energy.

A smile crosses the old Cheetah's face, as he gestures his paw towards the open door Mya just entered, and the large dragoness rushes inside with the same exuberance as the child before her.

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**Please Review... would love to know what everyone thinks so far. **


	6. Forgiveness is Earned

Chapter 6 Forgiveness is Earned

The ratting chains secured tightly around all four of his paws makes it hard for Fang to hear his brother's anger-filled ranting, or perhaps, it's the steel shackle that holds Slate's muzzle shut. Either way, the younger wolf can tell how angry his brother is without hearing a word.

"SILENCE!" A large dark brown and black dragon barks with a solid voice, annoyed with the muffled bickering from the slightly older brother, and showing his rage for the two before him.

"If I hear another sound from either of you two idiots..." He grunts, pulling the chain on Slate's shackles, and forcing him down on all fours like his sibling. "...I will break your legs and put you back in that cell with your so-called pirate friends!"

Slate's eyes show great fear just hearing this threat, and he quickly keeps his mouth shut. He can see the rage within the brown and black snake-patterned dragon's steely eyes.

"Yes Master Tycor." The muzzled wolf mumbles with a very somber tone, knowing that choice would mean certain death, however, the fate he and his brother are facing is nearly the same.

Tycor, Earth Guardian, and a resident of Titan's Point, looks down upon the familiar faces of old friends. He has known these wolves since they were pups, and his eyes begin to show anguish as he applies the last shackle upon his old neighbor's paw.

"How could you do that Slate?" He says with a somber tone of his own, grasping the chain that connects both brothers together, and turning away with shame as his friend remains silent. He has seen a difference in both wolves over the last two years, but never expected anything like this.

"Your father would be so disappointed to see what you've become!"

A large disk of energy soon develops in the next room, shining light upon the tear-filled eyes of both prisoners, and they look towards their first punishment with fear.

A group of angry dragons await on the other side of this portal, in the Main Square of New Warfang. All have assembled at the behest of Cynder and Spyro, to make these two grave robbers suffer for desecrating their family member's last resting place.

Tycor tugs on the chains, then strides towards the large oval warp gate. Both wolves tense up seeing the crowd of angry dragons become anxious for their arrival.

"They're gonna kill us!"

Fang becomes nauseous seeing dozens of angered eyes all focusing at him, and he loses the lunch they were given hours earlier.

"Just stay on my tail you two, I promise to move quick." Tycor remarks, feeling more tension on the chain, as Slate and Fang begin to drag their feet.

The Earth Guardian tenses up himself, recalling the young kids that grew up near his home for the last ten years, and never expecting them to be in this situation. He knows the group waiting in New Warfang will not be forgiving, but this was part of the punishment Spyro and Cynder wanted them to face, and he was reluctant to agree.

"I won't let them hurt you."

"Don't do that Tycor!" Slate replies after a moment of pause, then looks at his brother whom is still trying to keep the rest of his lunch down.

"We deserve this Master Dragon, and my only regret is that you have to be the one leading us to the palace."

Tycor stops at the threshold of the portal, and looks back at Slate with puzzlement. However, the young wolf's eyes are already focused upon his, and he answers the questioning look of a life-long friend.

"I never wanted YOU...to witness how far we fell."

The Earth Guardian remains still for a moment, and watches as Slate looks to his brother with a more resolved set of eyes.

"We should have told him NO Fang." He remarks, and the younger wolf begins to breakdown further, knowing what little choice they had.

"Then he would have killed us right there!" Fang replies with such sadness that Slate is forced to grasp a hold of his younger brother, just to keep him from falling over.

"Yes! But we would have died with our honor intact."

Fang suddenly looks up at his brother, holds his balance, then nods his head with understanding.

"You have not fallen that far my friends..." Tycor remarks with conviction, seeing the way the two are still helping one another, as they always have.

"...I still see the proud pups your father would always talk about."

"I'm sure he hasn't been proud of me in a while Master Tycor..." Slate looks up towards the heavens, knowing the anger his father must be feeling now, then turns his attentions to the intense crowd of dragons through the portal before him. "...but today I plan to change that, by facing my punishment with dignity."

Slate pulls the chain, leading from his shackles, out of Tycor's grasp, then begins walking into the portal under his own power. His brother hesitates for only a second before following close behind.

Tycor stays put for another moment, staring in shock as both wolves appear before the hostile crowd, and sit down to face their judgment.

"They're still nuts!" he remarks, and enters the portal himself, expecting to block several elemental blast that must be coming from the crowd by now.

However, shock fills his eyes as nothing is incoming, but what catches his attention the most is the eerie silence. Even Slate and Fang are astonished at how quiet the entire crowd is, as no one is saying a word. The uncomfortable silence is only disturbed as Tycor grasps the lead chain and begins to escort the prisoners before the gathered masses.

The Earth Dragon looks around at everyone with total surprise, knowing the crowd was rowdy only five minutes ago when he left to retrieve the prisoners. They even booed him fiercely before he left for Dragoon Bay, as he asked for leniency for a pair of lost friends

"_I don't understand this?"_ Tycor says to himself, however, a drag upon the chain forces him to gaze back at his friends.

The look in their eyes is crushing to the Earth Guardian, as they feel the intense stares of everyone around them. The spooky silence of the Main Square only intensifies the sensation, and Tycor suddenly feels bad for the way they are suffering.

The crowd slowly closes in on the two wolves, never saying a word, only showing their broken eyes, and Slate begins to feel his spoiling stomach become uncooperative as well. The two brothers keep their heads down, trying not to look, but there are eyes staring from below, as the younger dragons look up at them with tears.

The brown and black diamondback-patterned Earth Dragon picks up the pace of his walk, knowing his old friends are being crushed without a word, and feeling the discomfort himself.

However, from the far side of the Main Square, another dragon feels their pain stronger than Tycor, as this moment is very similar to what she faced years ago.

"Well this is a familiar sight!" Governor Silverson remarks, placing his right paw upon Cynder's flank, and staring at the two wolves facing an uncomfortable moment of indignity.

"It is much like the day you came to Narrow Falls, and stood before what was left of my village."

Cynder can recall the exact moment herself, and the silence that made her nauseous too. She held onto Spyro's arm for comfort, but none came, as the anger of the remaining few villagers was more than his touch could sooth.

"I remember you tried begging for our forgiveness, but no one would acknowledge you, just staring with our hatred at the one who killed our families." He continues staring upon the crowd of dragons that gets closer and closer to the prisoners, and recalling Cynder's reactions to this exact torture.

"It was almost a pleasure to watch you squirm, Terror of the Sky."

Cynder lowers her head, as he has not stopped calling her that name, even after two hours of civil conversation in his home. However Mya becomes angered, having asked the Governor to refrain from using this slur.

"Stop calling her that." The young dragon replies quietly, so not to disturb the group of dragons before them. However, her voice is filled with anger, and her lavender eyes show the distaste in the way the elder Cheetah has been treating Cynder, even after learning about her dark past.

"Ms. Cynder is not that dragon anymore, Sir...even I can see that!"

The Governor shows anger at Mya's comment, and stares her down with a pair of steely eyes.

"Then what about Malefor, Child? He is no different then this evil dragoness" he says with sarcasm, and watches the youngster become surprised, as a shocking thought enters her own head.

Cynder smiles before Mya opens her mouth, noticing a change in her aura, and listens with pure joy to the refreshing words spoken from her heart.

"Well maybe Malefor's not the dragon I thought he was either!"

The Governor quickly smiles himself, and looks up at Cynder with a certain satisfaction.

"Well I hope that helps you!"

Mya shows total confusion, as Cynder bows to the Governor, and places a paw upon his shoulder. However, anger overtakes her thoughts, suddenly believing she was just played by both elders.

"I appreciate what you did today." Cynder remarks, still with a somber tone in her voice, and the old cheetah brushes her paw off quickly.

"I still want nothing to do with you!" He barks, confusing Mya once again, seeing the rage within his eyes has not vanished.

"Wait a minute!" She eventually barks out, and Cynder quickly grasps her muzzle, making sure Mya's outburst does not affect the group of dragons behind them.

"_He still hates you!"_

The thought is so clear that Cynder hears it without words, and her answer is given almost as fast.

"_Yes...and I cannot blame him for that..."_

The Spirit dragon releases Mya, and turns her eyes to the one she knows will never treat her fairly, but truly understands why.

"...I am a reminder of the most painful moment in his life." She says, and the Governor lowers his head, hearing his pain told aloud.

"A reminder that always seems to pop up unannounced, so do me a favor the next time you want to talk to me" He says, looking up at the Spirit Elder with a crooked smile. "Give me a day or two to prepare, and maybe I will be less hostile...Ms. Cynder."

The gray-haired cheetah turns away and never looks back, heading towards the group of dragons that are in great pain, and showing it to the ones that hurt them.

"What just happened?" Mya remarks, looking up at Cynder herself, and seeing a wide smile form upon her face.

"You did something I never thought possible Mya..." The Spirit Elder remarks, staring at Silverson and watching his aura swirl with a clarity she's never seen before. Cynder then turns her joy-filled eyes to Mya and shows off this smile.

"...you made a stone heart bleed."

Mya becomes more confused, but yet sees some of what Cynder meant, as Silverson makes his way through the crowd of angered dragons.

"Please my friends!" He remarks aloud, breaking the eerie silence in the Main Square, then looking back at Cynder for one last nod.

"They understand the pain you feel..." He continues, cutting through the huddled mass of angered dragons, placing a gentle paw upon their sides to help them cope with this pain. "...and I promise you, this day will be a life-long reminder of what their actions have done to you."

The Elder Cheetah's eyes focus upon the two wolves, whom can barely stand, an gestures his paw for Tycor to remove them from this torture. The crowd becomes a bit hostile at this moment, and several dragons begin to power up for elemental attacks upon the wolves that desecrated their friends and family.

"NO!" The gray-haired cheetah barks, leaping with his old but still powerful legs, and landing before Slate and Fang.

"Do not show the same anger that I have my friends!"

Everyone powers down, but continues to show their rage to the most popular creature in New Warfang, as the Governor knows everyone in the city personally.

"If you kill them..." He says, then looks over at Cynder again, and lowers his head with shame. "...they can never repent for what they've done to you..." His eyes return to the crowd, and they all see the anguish within them. "...and that will only make it hurt more."

The crowd quickly hushes, as Tycor carries his broken friends into the palace, and all eyes focus upon the Governor as his emotions overwhelm him.

"I have spent seventeen years in pain, and for the first time in a long time..." he continues, looking over at the two dragonesses, and showing a smile that has never been seen by the Spirit Elder.

"...I don't feel that pain anymore Cynder, because I forgive you!"

Everyone is in shock hearing what was said, knowing the hatred Silverson has for the former Terror of the Sky, witnessing the way he treats Cynder in public. They quickly drop from their hostility, and surround the Governor as he breaks down crying before them.

"Come on Mya." Cynder remarks with a somber tone, quickly walking from view, and the young dragoness is hesitant but follows along.

"Why are you leaving him like that?" She asks with confusion. "Can't you make him feel better with that energy you have?"

Cynder smiles, but keeps walking away from the Main Square, knowing Silverson does not want to see her any more today, and respecting that last request he made.

"He made it clear to me Mya..." Cynder remarks, lowering a wing upon the young dragoness, and showing his last thought with a flash of images she took from him.

"...I will make an appointment to see him tomorrow."

Mya quickly smiles, as Cynder's thoughts of a meeting with Silverson are broadcast with great eagerness, and knowing it is foremost upon her mind.

"So now what?" Mya finally remarks, as Cynder continues down the street.

The dark-colored dragoness makes a left at the first street corner, which places them on the road leading into the west side of the Dragon's Palace, and the destination Cynder was planning on heading to next.

"Well...Silverson found a place in the city for two dragons...so we need to show him the size of the second dragon, before he can start construction." She remarks nonchalantly, and Mya's ears perk up, knowing exactly who Cynder is talking about.

"Were going to find my Mom?"

The smile that fills Cynder's face is answer enough, and Mya begins to hop around the larger dragoness, like a dog ready for his walk.

"Easy Mya! I don't know if we will be able to find her today." She remarks, realizing their reunion may take time, and the young dragoness halts her ambitious circling. It crushes the Spirit Dragon to see her aura drop that fast, and she quickly grasps Mya in a strong embrace

"...but I promise, no matter how long it takes, we will find her."

Keeping a solid hold of Mya, Cynder opens her scarlet red and black-lined wings, and catches a strong gust of wind flowing between the structures of the city. It carries them both to the doors of the great castle, which do not open, forcing Cynder to pull up and break hard.

"Damn it Spyro! Why is this thing locked again?" the angered dragoness remarks, placing Mya upon the ground for a moment, and waving her paw before the door. It recognizes the communicator embed in her right palm, and immediately begins to open.

"Welcome Commander Cynder!" A synthetic voice remarks, and Mya backs away for a moment.

"What is this place?" She says, as hundreds of flashing lights and electronic sounds begins to fill her eyes and ears with wonder.

Cynder smiles as Mya's aura skyrockets with awe, and watches as she quickly runs inside the large dome-shaped room with complete excitement. However, the tall thin dark purple dragoness loses her smile, suddenly understanding why the doors were look

"DAXTER!" She calls out with anger, and an orange and white ottsel pops his head from around several cases, all marked Avalarian Ale. Her eyes then focus upon the open portal to a dark room, and the other cases of different Dragon Liquors he has already sent home.

"Stocking up the Naughty Ottsel again...you better not let my husband or Gaven catch you!"

"Commander Cynder..." He says with a wide smile, already sticking out his small paw to greet her, and Cynder rolls her eyes. "...I would never use Skylander portals for my own personal ga..."

His eyes suddenly pop open as a scary thought occurs, and he quickly shuffles past Mya and Cynder to the open door

"...Is Spyro or Sparx with you?" He says with terror in his voice, quickly looking around for her much higher ranking son or husband.

"NO Daxter, it's just myself and this young dragoness, and I wont tell them..." She remarks, then shows a wide smile of her own. "...but of course I will be expecting a case of the red wine on my doorstep by next week."

"A CASE!?"

"You know something..." Cynder continues, before disappearing into the portal and returning with a box. "...I also need a case of white as well...Spyro and I are throwing a huge party during the Dragon Games!"

"TWO CASES!" He barks, quickly running back to his stash, and showing receipts to the dark dragoness. "Come on Cynder! You know I don't steal this stuff, be gentle here."

"Then I won't ask for anything else, but you better get this stuff out of my husband's portal station...RIGHT NOW!"

Daxter drops quickly from the stack of cases and begins to push them towards the portal, however, he stops after only a few steps and looks back at the Spirit dragoness with a smug look of his own.

"Wait a minute Commander...why do you want me out of here so fast?" He says, completely baffled at how lenient she is being, and climbing back up on top of the three cases of Ale.

"You usually take more than two case from me."

His eyes suddenly focus upon Mya, and his nerve gets a little stronger.

"Who is she huh...and why is this simple civilian inside a Skylander Portal Station?"

Cynder smiles at the tiny orange rodent, standing upon the other cases he would normally offer as a pay-off, and lowers her head down to Daxter's face.

"Her name is Mya, and she has never seen me get truly angry, Daxter!" Cynder replies, and the tiny ottsel quickly gulps his saliva as the dark dragoness' eyes flash with power.

"RIGHT!"

Daxter quickly begins pushing the cases of alcohol three at a time, making sure to clear the portal station as ordered, and Cynder places a paw upon Mya's head.

"Are you OK?" She asks, feeling Mya's heart pounding, witnessing the small creature disappear and reappear like Cynder did before.

"What is that thing?" Mya replies with a question herself, continually staring at the small orange creature she's never seen before, and thinking how many more wonders her eyes can witness in a single day.

"That is the way we are going to find your mother."

"What was that?" Mya remarks, wagging her tail with more enthusiasm, and locking her eyes with Cynder's.

"You heard me." The Spirit Dragon replies with a confirming tone in her voice, rubbing the youngster between her horns, and showing a million dollar smile. "We just have to wait for Daxter to finish using the portal platform."

Mya's eyes open wider, and she turns her head towards the tiny little creature, then looks at the nearly forty cases he has left to move. Without a word, she lowers her head against a row of box, and pushes nearly a dozen cases towards the large oval disk of energy.

"EASY!" Daxter barks, hearing several bottles rattling hard with her hasty maneuver, and Mya halts her shoving action for a more gentler pushing motion.

She suddenly becomes anxious when the first cases hit the portal, feeling the vibrations from the disk of energy, and Mya cautiously stops pushing them with her head. The young red dragoness, using a technique honed upon an alien world, stands up on her hind legs and begins using her front paws to push.

Keeping her weight balanced upon her tail, Cynder is surprised how the young dragoness is able to walk easily on two feet. A difficult task for any dragon to perform, including her son Malefor, who has trained for years to perfect this.

However, her two-legged stance looks natural, as Mya continues pushing the weight of twelve cases with no effort, until only one stack separates her from the large disk of energy.

"It won't hurt kid...I promise." Daxter remarks when Mya comes to a dead stop, staring upon the energy with great fear.

"Just walk inside, and push them to the left."

Mya is astonished by the nonchalant attitude of the tiny creature behind her, as she cannot fathom the sight before her. However, with an assuring smile from Cynder's face, and a simple gesture of her paw, Mya takes a step that brings her trillions of miles away.

A strong sensation hits the youngster as she enters the new room, but it is not the smell of stale alcohol that strikes her as odd. It is the air itself, saturated with oxygen and easier to breath.

"Welcome to Haven City!" Daxter remarks, as he enters the storage shed behind her, pushing his three cases to the far wall, then turning around to show a wide smile.

"I bet you've never been this far from home young lady?"

Mya suddenly becomes depressed, and Daxter is quick to feel this pain as her voice whimpers a cold reality that was unknown to him.

"I don't know haw far from home I am..." She replies, looking back at the swirling disk only a foot behind her tail, and seeing Cynder still standing there waiting for them to return. "...because that is not my home."

Daxter, walks over to the young dragon, whom suddenly feels overwhelmed with emotions again. He opens a case of the ale, and removes a single bottle, before climbing up to get eye to eye with her.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" He asks, opening the bottle and taking a very big drink, before showing his undivided attention.

"I'm a great listener..." he continues, taking another lengthy slug from his bottle, and showing a wider smile. "...after I have a few drinks that is!"

Mya shows a slight smile herself, as Daxter's ease of character makes her feel a sudden attachment to him.

"You remind me of my old friend from home." She replies, quickly sitting upon her hind quarters, and staring into Daxter's confident eyes. "His name's Bosco, and he could always make me laugh when I was upset."

"Bosco..." The orange ottsel remarks with a strange look in his eyes, than takes a more pronounced gulp of Avalarian Ale. "...you can't be talking about that hard-nosed Black Bear from the Conderoga System."

Mya's eyes open wide with shock, confirming Daxter's suspicions, and quickly he drops the bottle in his small hand.

"That's not possible!"

From the other side of the portal, Cynder watches the changing expression of her Skylander friend, and the bottle that he dropped half-full. She has never seen Daxter waste alcohol before, and quickly the dark dragoness make her way towards the portal.

However, a sudden pounding upon the door, and the voice yelling from the other side, takes the Spirit Elder's attention

"CYNDER...PLEASE DON'T TAKE HER HOME YET!"

The dark dragoness knows Malefor's voice, and can hear the pure fear in his call. She gives Mya a quick glance, before heading to the door, and opening it for the King.

"WHERE DID MYA GO?" He barks with fear, and Cynder is startled by his anxiousness.

"She's right there!" Cynder remarks, pointing towards the young red dragoness, still sitting in view through the portal.

"What's the matter?"

Malefor takes a deep breath of relief, and shows Cynder the concern in his eyes. He can see the young dragoness is not able to hear him, and the king finally lets Cynder know something he has read about from history's library.

"Mya's mother is no longer waiting at home for her return..." He says, looking over at the youngster with a tear in his eyes.

"...and she is in grave danger."

* * *

**Well I think I've written enough mushy stuff, and some action is definitely required next chapter. I hope you'll stay tuned, because this is just the beginning. **


	7. Destiny's Mother

Chapter 7 Destiny's Mother

"Where is my daughter!?" Danielle's voice growls hard, staring upon two grizzly bears, whom call Lord Cypher their leader. Both show great fear and anger, as a member of their race keeps a look out for an unwelcome guest to the planet Conderoga.

"How can you help this vicious monster?" They yell towards Bosco, and he cocks the shotgun in his paws with conviction.

"She is not the monster here guys...you are!" the smaller bear replies, striding up to the scared pirate grizzlies, and pointing his weapon directly at the leader of the two.

"You bastards have ruined this system with your terrorizing of weaker civilizations, to the point, that I am no longer proud to call myself a Bear." he continues, placing a claw upon the trigger of his weapon, and holding it steadily between the taller bear's eyes.

"Now you tell this dragon what she wants to hear, or there will be two fewer reasons to hate this world."

Both bears show agitation, knowing Bosco's reputation, and relinquish their boss' flight plan.

"He said he was going to the Dragon Realms before he heads for Raptoria to sell the young red one." The large Grizzly barks with anger, and Danielle's eyes open wide with rage, focusing hard on both creatures.

"YOU'RE LYING!" She screams with anger, hearing of a place she believes no longer exists. The light blue dragoness raises her right front paw, and slams it into the wall between them. The impact of this intense punch shakes the entire building, forcing Bosco to back away.

The lead bear then makes his first and last mistake.

With her paw embedded in the stone behind him, the armed pirate removes his knife, and plunges it into Danielle's side. However, the moment his blade strikes her scales, the surface of Danielle's body solidifies into her Icy element.

"EASY!" Bosco remarks, as his large friend loses control of her strength and emotions, slashing her free paw across the face of the attacking bear. A splatter of blood hits the ground before his body, and Danielle freezes solid with the sight of death. Her heart begins to pound, seeing the life she took, and feeling horrible for her uncontrolled reaction.

"NO!" Danielle cries out, as her body returns to normal, and she places a paw upon the downed bear's face.

Never wanting her power to kill again, Danielle uses the little magic she has stored inside to fix the damages done. A glow of light begins to emanate from her palm, however, before she can begin to restore the life she took, a streak of pain fills her chest.

Time slows down as her eyes focus upon the blade cutting into her white scales, and she looks up at the remaining Grizzly's angered scowl.

Frozen with a power she has no control of, Danielle becomes enraged to see this other Grizzly's sword swiping across the lower part of her neck, even as she is trying to save his friend's life. With only preservation on her mind, Danielle thrusts her right paw up from the injured grizzly into the chest of his attacking friend. She tares a hole through him with rage, and he is gone before time restarts.

"HOLY SH*T!" Bosco says with awe, as Danielle moves faster than his eyes can witness, and she snaps around showing uncontrolled anger and aggression towards him.

"EASY DANIELLE..IT'S ME! BOSCO!" He yells, dropping his weapon as her paw raises up, and cowering with intense fear from her dead stare.

"Bosco?" She says with a questioning voice, as her pupils lose focus. Danielle suddenly collapses to the ground, and Bosco's fast to her side.

"Hang on Danielle! I got you!" He says, grasping a small device from his pocket, and pressing a single button.

Both disappear from the room with a flash of brilliant light.

* * *

A pair of purple eyes burn a hole into the Icy demeanor of an arrogant dragon, but Cyril does nothing to stop it. Even as pompous as he is, the Ice Guardian knows he overstepped his authority with several dumb rules he employed.

"I don't know what to say Malefor, except...I'm sorry."

The voice of Cyril is so distressed that the King can barely keep a grin from crossing his muzzle. He remains uncomfortably silent, knowing what should be done, however, he is startled as Cyril makes the first move.

"It would be smart for you to take this back, before the Manweresmalls decide to tunnel under the palace walls...and kill me!"

Malefor, never wanting a crown, watches Cyril start to remove the King's Royal Seal from his tail plate. He quickly stops laughing, knowing he cannot take back his throne as of yet, and places a solid paw on Cyril's arm, holding the crown shaped seal upon his golden armor.

"I am not ready to take it back yet Cyril, so you will need to figure this one out on your own."

Cyril is in such shock, that he becomes speechless. He was sure Malefor would rip the small emblem from his back, then slug him for disrupting the city's perfect flow in just a single day. However, the yellow and blue dragon, standing to Cyril's left, is not so speechless, and voices his opinion quickly

"OH NO...Please Your Majesty! You cannot leave this pompous... ignorant... self-centered... high-strung... mentally unbalanced... "

Malefor begins laughing again, as Volteer spits out several more insulting remarks with an overwhelming amount of honesty in his voice.

"...Mr. I know everything, but still know NOTHING...imbecile, in charge!" Volteer finally pauses to take a slight breath of air, before continuing to voice what he really feels.

"I am amazed he made it to this morning, Master. You must take back the crown!"

The true King of the Dragon Realms is surprised, as the yellow dragon shows such a strong back bone towards Cyril, however, he quickly focuses his in anger upon the Electric Guardian, and Volteer cowers slightly seeing the rage fill his purple eyes.

"I don't care about your opinion Volteer!" He replies after a moment, taking the Seal of the King from Cyril's armor, and pinning it upon Volteer's bare chest.

"But if you disagree, then YOU fix it, because I cannot return to the throne yet... Your Majesty!"

Both dragons look at him with shock, then stare at each other as Malefor turns to the main balcony of the Dragon's Palace and walks away without another word spoken.

"What the heck just happened?" The Electric dragon remarks with shock(pun intended). However, Cyril begins laughing, as the weight of the world is removed from his shoulders in one fast slide of Malefor's paw.

"I don't know, Your Highness, but I gotta go now." The Icy Guardian replies, quickly running from the throne room, leaving his best friend to tend to the mess he made. "I've been meaning to visit The Southern villages for the last few months, so let me know when it's safe to come back!"

"Why you no-good, worthless excuse for a dragon!" He barks, as Cyril disappears from sight.

Suddenly laughter fills his ears, and Volteer's eye focus upon a black and gray dragon across the room, whom cannot hold his emotional outburst. Quickly the Electric dragon use his element to cross the vast room, and Nightshade's laughter stops instantaneously. He leaps back with child-like fear, as this bolt of Lightning strikes before his front paws.

"HEY!" He yells, grasping Volteer by the neck as he reappears in his solid form.

"I will kill you if you do that again!"

Even with a tight grip around his throat, Volteer chuckles hard with the fear in Nightshade's eyes, and places a paw upon his shoulder.

"Do you think it's a good idea to threaten the King... Inside the Palace!"

Nightshade's eyes open wide, and he looks at his paw, still wrapped around the KING'S throat. He notices several guards have taken notice as well, including an old cheetah, whose paw is already upon his mystical sword.

"Sorry Tristan!" He remarks, pulling his paw away from the king's throat with haste, but keeping his angered green eyes focused hard upon the Electric dragon, and the one Guardian he could live without.

"Don't think I won't protect him like I would Malefor." the old cheetah remarks, sitting back down beside the throne made for a massive dragon.

"I may not like Volteer either, and I'm definitely not looking forward to hearing him talk all damn day...but he is the King now, so don't touch him!"

Nightshade grinds his teeth, and stares down at the ground, recalling the pain of being struck by lightning as one of the first things he remembers in life. It was a scary pain that shot through his body without mercy, and left him with a bitter taste for this powerful element. Since that day, the Shadow dragon has feared Electricity, and the sudden pain that he feels when a bolt flashes nearby.

"Please Volteer, you know I how much I hate lightning, and yet you purposely try to scare me with it every chance you get." He says with desperation in his voice, knowing how much this one Guardian loves using his power just for fun, and usually at his expense.

"So I am asking you nicely, until you are no longer king, and I can hit you back..." Nightshade's eyes return to Volteer's, and he shows him a look of pure sincerity "...don't be a jerk like Cyril, and just leave me alone until Malefor takes his crown back. I'm begging you!"

Volteer cannot stop the wide grin from forming on his face, and he lowers his head slightly down to Nightshade's ear.

"Since you asked me nicely, and I can see how much it bothers you to be frightened like a little child..." A slight crackle of electricity begins to pop from Volteer's mouth, as his answer is given both physically and sarcastically.

"...I'll have to say..."

Volteer thunders away as a bolt of lightning, making Nightshade jump again, and he reappears upon the throne across the room.

"...NO!"

The Shadow dragon's heart begins racing with fear and rage, knowing his life is going to become quite annoying with a Flamboyant Electric Storm as his King.

"I can see this is gonna be a really long day!"

Meanwhile, as the two bitter rivals stare at each other, Malefor strides out onto the balcony, looking for the old friend he came to talk to in the first place.

"Diamond!" he calls out, not seeing the white dragon where he was standing only a few minutes earlier, and his purple eyes quickly focus upon the crowd of angered families in the Main Square.

"Where are you?" He continues, not seeing him down below, and he begins feeling depressed.

He can see the expressions of two tortured wolves being escorted to the palace, and feels the same pain. He knows all about their crime, and is actually awaiting the information the two posses. However, his focus returns to his own dark issues, and only the former Spirit Elder can help.

"Please Diamond...I need to talk to you!"

"Sorry my old friend..." A voice calls from the side, and Malefor looks to his right as a distortion of Light bends back into the old Spirit dragon's form.

"...I cannot stand watching such depression..." He continues, as his entire white frame reappears before the purple dragon, and his pink colored eyes focus on Malefor. "...it reminded me of what I saw you endure a decade ago."

Malefor lowers his head, recalling his apology tour, and several instances where Spyro and the Great Elder were forced to calm a crowd of angered families, all wanting revenge against the former Dark Master. However, it also proved his willingness to beg for forgiveness, and that showed honor and courage, two traits unseen in any evil creature. The purple and gold dragon quickly gained prominence by giving his knowledge willingly, helping everyone to hone their abilities. It allowed the entire race to strengthen itself, ensuring one evil dragon could never do what was done sixty generations ago.

"It was painful to see how they treated you then...and how some still act towards you."

Suddenly, the large king notices Cynder and Mya standing to the north of the Square, and the smile that fills both of their faces. His eyes lock upon an old Cheetah, whom the Great Elder is referring, and he notices it is his actions that have placed that grin upon their faces.

"Well, you may want to see this Diamond!" Malefor remarks with shock, turning his attention back to the crowd and showing his own smile.

"I think even you will be surprised at what's going on down there!"

The blind dragon suddenly notices the bright light of someone's aura blaring up from the Main Square, and he shows a bit of confusion, as this aura has never shined so vividly.

Only able to see Spiritual Energy, the second oldest dragon upon Avalar (Malefor being the oldest) was saddened with the darkness of hatred from the crowd below. He quickly walked from the ledge, and rested by the door, enjoying the rainbow of emotions coming from Cyril instead, as Malefor confronted him about his single day reign as king. Now this rainbow of color is coming from below, and Diamond moves as quickly as his old bones can carry him.

He grasps Malefor's arm, using it to prop himself up over the ledge, and the purple dragon smiles feeling his old Mentor's soothing touch. Diamond's incredible eyes then focus upon the one soul that is filling the Square so brightly, and his own Spirit lights up the sky as well.

"Is that Governor Silverson?" he has to ask Malefor, as his aura's clarity is something never witnessed before from the old Cheetah. No matter how much joy the Governor would show, there was always a dark spot in his heart that clouded his Spirit's luster.

"Yes!" the large purple dragon replies, and shows another smile as his ears pick up the heart-felt forgiveness of a broken warrior.

"Did he just say he forgave Cynder!?" The old dragon asks again, and Malefor nudges Diamond with his paw.

"I know you can hear better than myself, and I'm sure you can see Cynder's aura skyrocketing, because I see it too." he remarks calmly, however he lowers Diamond back to four paws, staring at him with no interest in what is going on down in the City's heart.

"So please...stop acting as if you can't feel my pain, because it's starting to bothering me!"

Diamond's eyes focus upon his friend's, and he gives a heavy sigh before laying down, noticing how clouded his aura is.

"I'm sorry old dragon, I am actually at a loss!" He says, as everything in Malefor's mind is black or distorted.

"I have been trying to sense the pain inside my best friend for the last few minutes, and yet I can see nothing."

"So what does that mean?" The large dragon replies, feeling more hopelessness creeping into his heart. He has always looked to this Spirit Elder for guidance, even after he passed his title to Cynder, because only a touch of his paw would find the problem and comfort the pain.

"It means you should start talking!" The albino remarks sarcastically, placing a paw upon Malefor's arm, and sending a single thought with a surge of his soothing energy.

"_As you pointed out...I can still hear things quite well."_

Malefor gives a slight smirk, but then stares down at the ground, and Diamond can see the pain return in a blink.

"I was told to make things right, but there is no possible chance for me to accomplish this goal." He says, recalling the last words spoken to him by the First Ancestor, and the only thing his mind is focused upon.

"How can I do the impossible Diamond?" He asks with tears in his eyes, holding his Mentor's paw to help him from shuttering.

"I know she will never accept my help, and because of that...she will die!"

Diamond can see a single image of a young fire dragoness, and his eyes focus upon the aura of that youngster, still standing across the Main Square.

"I don't think it will be that impossible Malefor..." He remarks enthusiastically, seeing Mya's pure Spirit becoming brighter with every second that passes. "...she is a very smart young lady, and I already see..."

"NOT HER!" Malefor barks, grasping the Elder's paw tighter, and showing a mental image that shocks him.

"Is that who I think it is?" Diamond replies, seeing a distorted vision of a tall thin blue and white dragoness.

"No Diamond...it's not Aerial." Malefor replies somberly, knowing his friend is asking about his wife, and though they are similar, it is not the one he was told to rescue. "Her name is Danielle, and I must save her life in order to fulfill my destiny."

His heart begins to race, and his grip on Diamond's paw becomes tighter. He begins showing the real images he remembers of his wife, ones that remain strong in his mind, even after four million years apart. However, these images disappear with a swelling pain that begins to fill the purple dragon's heart, as his hopes are shattered with the truth itself, knowing he will never accomplish what was asked of him.

"I will never see her again if I don't succeed."

"_What are you talking about Malefor?"_ The white dragon asks with a thought, as his friend continues to fall deeper into depression, recalling the promise made before he awoke in Spyro's cave.

"_He said he would take it back if I fulfilled my destiny, and I could finally find my way to Aerial."_ Malefor returns with a somber thought, then looks at Diamond with a sad set of eyes, hearing the words spoken to him by God.

"But if I fail...I will remain immortal, and never get to see my love in the afterlife."

Diamond tries to take his paw from Malefor's grip, as this flood of emotions begin overwhelming his Spirit.

"By the Ancestors Malefor...STOP!" He barks with pain, yanking his paw harder, but unable to remove it from the tight grasp. However, his voice returns the large purple dragon's focus, and he quickly releases his friend's paw.

"DIAMOND!" Malefor barks, watching with terror as Diamond falls backward with his opposing momentum.

Suddenly a puff of dark smoke appears behind the white dragon, followed by a set of black paws. They quickly grasp the tumbling elder and pull his frail white frame into the developing cloud of Shadows behind him. Instantaneously Diamond reappears beside Malefor, with his paws just above the ground, and Nightshade holding him up from above.

"You OK Master?" His voice is calm and soothing, easing the startled white dragon quickly.

"Yes my friend...Thank you." He replies, as Nightshade lowers his paws gently to the ground, and Diamond returns to his stomach.

"Easy with my Master, Malefor...or I will not be easy with you!" The black dragon remarks with a bit of anger, not knowing exactly what happened, but watching for the last minute as he heard his Master's outbursts from the other room.

"That was my fault Nightshade. You don't need to hurt him!" The old dragon remarks, and Malefor gives a slight chuckle.

"What's so funny?" The black dragon retorts with a bit of sarcasm, knowing Malefor is laughing at that last comment, and showing a broader chest to the much larger dragon.

Living in the palace for the past six years, Nightshade has become good friends with the king, and can see the anguish all over his face for the last few minutes. He understands Malefor is upset, and tries to improve on his mood by continuing to act tough, something he is not shy of at all.

"I know you're afraid of me little one!" He remarks unwisely to the larger and more powerful dragon, then watches Malefor's grin get a little wider. Nightshade snorts a small cloud of Shadow from his nostrils and snaps his head back and forth a few times, cracking his neck in anticipation.

"And, you better get rid of that grin before I remove it permanently!" he continues threatening, and Malefor finally stops grinning, lowering his head down to the teenage dragon.

"You really wanna give it a try? I'm not in the best of moods right now" He says, and Nightshade smiles himself.

"I can improve your mood if you wish!" He remarks without delay, and increasing the width of his chest. The Shadow Master then cranes his head around the large purple and gold dragon, staring at his bare back for a quick second, before return his sarcastic grin to the former king.

"I don't see a crown back there, so whenever you want me to embarrass you, just give the word."

Malefor cannot help laughing at this point, knowing his good friend is trying hard to keep an upset dragon's emotions in a more jovial range.

"Thank you Nightshade, I needed a good laugh!" He remarks sarcastically himself, placing a very heavy paw upon the smaller dragon's shoulder. However, his eyes suddenly catch a flicker of light, and quickly focuses on the door to Spyro's Portal Platform, which is still open.

"NO!" he yells, seeing Cynder and Mya standing before an oval disk of energy, and the door quickly closes.

Malefor quickly changes his elemental structure, and flashes down to the ground as a bolt of lightning.

Nightshade yelps like a whelping and covers his head, dropping next to Diamond as the crackling sound of Malefor's electrified body passed only an inch from his ear.

"Now that was embarrassing!" Diamond remarks, and Nightshade finally opens his eyes to witness the huge smile on his Master's face.

"Hurry up and pull yourself together...I want to follow him!"

Nightshade looks down at the door Malefor is already pounding upon, and returns his eyes to Diamond.

"That's not funny Master!"

"I agree Nightshade..." the old dragon remarks with laughter in his words, helping his valet back to his feet, while trying to keep his outburst in check. "...that was not funny at all."

"You know I can accidentally drop you from this balcony...RIGHT!" Nightshade remarks, grasping his Master, and opening his wing to fly, something the old dragon can no longer do himself.

Diamond's smile increases, and he places a paw upon the shuttering black dragon's supporting arm.

"_Yes you can..."_ He replies, then fills the young dragon's mind with several disturbing images. _"...and I can make you believe you are a young girl who wants to play with dolls all day!"_

Nightshade holds his position on the balcony, and shakes the vision Diamond placed, before cinching his grip upon his Master tightly.

"You're a sick old dragon!"

* * *

Lying upon her white belly, staring at the blood dripping from her right paw, Danielle is in shock at what she just did. Even Bosco, who is still trying to evade the patrol ship behind him, cannot take his eyes from Danielle's paw.

"How did you do that?" He asks with total surprise, as his ship takes another hit from a series of laser cannons. However, the shield on his craft is powerful, and little damage is taken from the assault.

Bosco banks hard to the right, heading for coordinates that will take them further from home, and engages his hyper-driver.

Leaving the Conderoga System for the first time in his life is not a concern for the black and brown colored bear, as his friends are more important to him then the self-centered race from which he was outcast. He stands up from the controls, knowing his ship cannot be caught by anything in this system, and quickly checks in on the large blue dragoness by his side.

"Danielle!" He barks out, snapping her eyes to his, and she can see the look of astonishment has still not left his face. "What the hell happened back there?"

She slowly gestures her head left and right, then returns her eyes to the blood on her right paw.

"I don't know Bosco..." She replies, clinching that paw into a fist, showing her friend that paw is uninjured.

"...and I couldn't stop myself when it started."

Her mind races back to the moment several grizzly bears confronted the two asking questions about Lord Cypher, and how violent things got without trying.

"I just wanted to know where their leader had taken my daughter" She says to her friend, looking at the blood of two Grizzly Bears, soaked upon her paw. "I didn't want to kill them, but they gave me no choice."

"Easy Danielle, that was not your fault." The large bear remarks, grasping her blood soaked paw, and holding it from shaking. "He's the one that struck first!"

Danielle's eyes open wide, and quickly looks down at her white chest. She can still see some blood from where a sword had been swiped, however, there is no longer a wound.

"DID HE?"

Bosco shows a creepy smirk upon his face, and wipes the remnants of the drying blood from Danielle's chest with his other paw.

"This is not from a bear..." He replies, showing the different colors of red on both of his paws. "...he tried to kill you first Danielle."

The tall thin dragon begins to weep, but Bosco hugs her tightly, comforting Danielle the best he can. He knows she is not violent, and this attack has gone against everything he has seen from her in the six years he has known this dragoness.

"They both deserved what they got, Danielle." he remarks quietly in her ear, rubbing the shaking dragon gently behind the horns. Bosco takes a deep breath, and looks towards the main view screen of his ship, staring upon the stars that go by at light speeds.

"And soon Lord Cypher will join them for causing you this pain...I swear it!"


	8. Stepping Down

Chapter 8: Stepping Down

Sitting upon her hind quarters and staring in awe at the small orange creature, as he pounds down another bottle of ale, Mya suddenly feels joy in the thought she is not that far from home.

In the light of the portal behind her, Daxter has showed off the communicator that has control of this rift in space, embedded in his palm like all Skylanders. However, during this brief conversation, and after another bottle of ale, the small rodent continues to ponder one thing.

"So...how do you...know Bosco?" Daxter asks between hiccups, and the small ottsel takes another swig, before returning his swaying eyes to her. "He lives in the Outer Realms, and I don't recall any dragons living in the Outer Realms."

"But my mother and I live on that moon and have for six years!" Mya replies emphatically, almost pleading her case, and quickly Daxter scratches his head, recalling the last time he was there with his vague memory.

"I don't remember any dragons when Jak and I were on Conderoga's moon."

"Cause that was almost ten years ago, ya dummy!"

Mya is startled by the sudden sound of another voice in the room and quickly locks eyes upon a creature she is unfamiliar with.

"Who are you?" She barks with rage in her voice, as this humanoid with long pointed ears steps out of the shadows he's been hiding in. However, Daxter quickly pops his head up, and looks at his life-long friend with shock.

"Has it been that long Jak?" He replies with a question, and the great hero of Haven City gives a simple nod.

"Yes OLD buddy!" He answer sarcastically, then points at the open portal still flickering behind him.

"And that thing has been open just as long, so you better hurry up before Gaven notices an open portal to the liquor shack of the Naughty Ottsel."

Daxter chuckles at his friend, knowing he has covered his tracks well, and points at the small jamming device that is blocking this rift's signature from the Portal Master's view. However, his smile quickly leaves when he notices his new friend is still uneasy about the newcomer.

"It's OK Mya..." The small orange rodent says with a calming voice and a pat upon the side of her neck. "...that's my buddy Jak, and he is not going to hurt you, I promise that!"

Mya shows Daxter a little less anger in her eyes, before returning them to Jak.

"I'm sorry..." She says with a timid voice "...I didn't mean to..."

Jak holds up his hand abruptly, stopping Mya's apology mid sentence. He walks directly up to the red dragon, almost his exact height, and gently reaches out his hand to Mya's lowered jaw.

"I'm sorry for spying on you." He says calmly, showing a look of regret in his eyes. "I meant only to find out why Daxter was talking to you, because he's not a big fan of dragons."

"HEY!" the small sidekick remarks with anger, running across several cases, before leaping to his normal position upon Jak's shoulder.

"I'm not the one that has issues with dragons Jak!" He barks literally eye to eye with his best friend, and pointing a finger at the portal.

"It's Cynder & Spyro that have issues with an enterprising ott..."

Daxter stops mid rant, noticing the massive purple and gold dragon that has joined Cynder inside New Warfang's Portal station, and his jaw falls to the ground.

"...Oh Crap! It's King Malefor!"

* * *

"_WAKE UP DANIELLE!" _

_Her husband's voice echoes in her ears loud enough to wake the dead, but it's the tone that brings Danielle's narrow blue muzzle quickly off the pillows. _

"_What is it Ajax?" She replies, noticing the look in his eye is more serious than his voice._

"_They're coming...here!"_

_Danielle's heart begins to pound, as this day she feared has come faster than anticipated, and she looks down to the red whelping dragoness she was curled up against while sleeping . _

"_NO..." She says to herself, realizing this is going to be Mya's last day of joy, as the world around her is going to change horribly. Danielle then focuses her eyes upon the red and black dragon that holds the other half of her heart. _

"_...I will not let them take this city!"_

_Ajax nods his head, and shows the crooked smile that always makes her feel better._

"_I will get Mya and the others to the palace, you do what you do best..." He replies, striding up to his wife, and holding her tightly before she leaves to do the job her father and father's fathers and mothers have done for generations. _

"_...keep us safe honey!"_

* * *

"Danielle?"

The blue dragon shakes her head, removing the unwelcome memory that started to return, and looks at Bosco sitting in his captain's chair

"Are you OK?"

Danielle's Icy blue eyes return to the large view screen, showing her the main continent on Raptoria from a low orbit, and the one time beautiful planet this dragon had called home.

"Look at it!" She remarks with a broken voice, seeing the only city built on the eastern coast of the main continent, still smoldering after six years.

"New Warfang is gone!"

Bosco places a paw upon her side, and the blue dragoness shutters from his touch.

"Easy Danielle..." He replies to her reaction, keeping his paw upon her flank, and gently rubbing a spot by her wing. "...we're gonna find her, but I can tell you it won't be here."

Danielle gives her friend an odd look, and he shows a wide smile. Quickly gesturing his head towards the monitor, he removes the image of a burning city, for a tactical view of the entire planet. The blue dragoness shows great surprise in the technical expertise of her friend, truly believing now he is not who he says he is.

"What is going on, Bosco?" She remarks, unaware of such technology, and becoming uneasy with what she has seen him do in the past day. The blue and white dragoness turns her head towards the bear she has called her only friend since leaving home, and gives him a dead stare with her cold eyes.

"Who are you, and how do you have this technology?" She asks with fear in her voice, and Bosco quickly picks up on Danielle's change of emotion.

"I was a pirate long ago." He replies with bitterness in his voice, regretting the years he spent in his early life wreaking havoc on the weaker.

Danielle backs away from his paw, showing fear in the soothing touch he was giving her, and Bosco lowers his head in shame.

"I can't blame you for reacting that way." He says somberly, and shows the tears forming in his eyes as he looks towards the only true friend he has made in life.

"I only hope you understand I am not that Bear anymore."

Danielle balks for a moment, seeing such humbleness from his eyes, and suddenly feels sorry for the way she reacted.

The long thin dragoness drops her defensive posture, and returns to his side, allowing his paw to find the spot he was rubbing before. A smile fills Bosco's face as Danielle begins grumbling with contentment, feeling a soothing touch of a friend.

"I'm sorry Bosco, and I know that you are not one of them." She says, looking into his eyes to show her resolve. "You have only shown kindness to Mya and myself!"

"Because that is what your respect demanded from me, Danielle." He replies, continually rubbing behind her left wing, making sure his voice is as comforting as his touch. However, both are startled from this moment of friendship as a signaling alarm begins beeping from the control panel.

"That's odd!" Bosco remarks, taking his paw from Danielle's flank, and working the keyboards before him.

"What is it?" Danielle asks, looking at a new tactical display that Bosco has placed on the main screen, and not understanding it at all.

"I have multiple life-signs Danielle!" He replies, and the tall dragoness becomes angry with his obvious statement.

"I'm sure you do! There are probably millions of Raptors all over the place by know." She replies quickly, knowing how many angry lifeforms are on this planet, as they attacked with a force that was unimaginable.

"Yeah...well according to the computer's tracking system, they are not raptors, because several of these creatures are flying."

"WHAT?"

Bosco quickly turns his ship towards the largest ocean on the planet, and lowers into the atmosphere, allowing his scanners to lock in on the large island thousands of miles from anything. The tactical display suddenly springs to life with several images of these flying creatures, and the computer quickly locks on one in particular.

"By the great ancestors?" Danielle remarks with shock, as the computer begins displaying the statistical analysis of the creature it is locked on.

Target: Dragon.  
Length: 24.7 Feet  
Wing Span: 22.1 feet  
Weight: 4.5 tons.  
Speed: 24 feet per second  
Distance 4167.5 miles

"Acquired target is not in range!" The computer remarks, and Danielle shows Bosco an odd stare.

"Target?"

The brown and black haired bear, takes his eyes from the screen before him, and focuses on Danielle's lavender blues.

"This is a Pirate's Ship, Danielle..." He says with a very wry smirk, then returns his eyes to his controls.

"...it targets everything."

"Computer...scan for all creatures with this same physiology " He continues, securing the weapons on his ship, and allowing the computer to track with it's powerful targeting system.

The computer goes silent for a moment, before the viewer suddenly zooms out, focusing upon the entire island out in the middle of a vast ocean. Danielle's eyes open wide as hundreds of lights begin to pop up on the tactical display screen

"That is impossible!" The blue dragoness remarks with total shock, believing the entire race of dragons was wiped out.

Bosco continues to lower down towards the surface of the planet, heading towards the only place his computer is showing dragon lifeforms. He can see the damages more clearly as he passes the smoldering city of New Warfang, leaving the main continent for the large island still thousands of miles away.

"What the hell happened here, Danielle?" he asks with anger in his voice, seeing the scarring and damages with his own eyes.

_"_The Great Purge!" She says with pain in her voice, as they leave behind the city she fled with only one survivor, and feeling the loss of her husband and friends all over again.

* * *

_Still held tightly in her husband's embrace, Danielle looks down at their daughter one more time before leaving to defend the city. She smiles feeling the peacefulness of Mya's quite slumber, until a loud bell begins to ring, shuttering the young dragoness from her pillows_

_"MOM!" She barks with fear, looking around for the one she was just sleeping beside. The young whelpling calms quickly as her eyes focus upon both of her parents, however, another clang of the bell returns her fear in a second's time._

"_Easy Mya!" Ajax remarks calmly, as she is jolted from the cushions with the loud ring of the warning signal. The tiny red fire dragon quickly glides to her father's side, allowing both of her parents to comfort her as the bell rings again._

"_Why are they ringing the warning bell?" She cries, and daddy places a paw upon Mya's muzzle, rubbing her nose gently to calm a child's nerves. _

"_It's nothing Sweetie..." He replies, looking to Danielle for support in this lie, but she has none give. _

"_Then why do you look scared!?" Mya cuts in, seeing the expression on her father's face is grim, and knowing what this means._

"_They're coming aren't they?"_

_Danielle can feel her rage build, hearing the fear in her daughter's voice._

"_They won't get to you baby..." She says, lifting her daughter up to show the resolve in her darkening eyes. "...I promise!"_

_Danielle hands Mya to her father's secure arms, and places a gentle kiss upon her head._

"_Take care of daddy for me Mya" She says, before looking to him and showing only concern. _

"_If I'm not back in ten minutes...Get out of here Ajax!" Danielle remarks, and the red and black dragon nods his head with acceptance, understanding her vague comment to leave the city itself._

"_MASTER! MASTER!" A voice suddenly calls from outside their balcony, and quickly an armor clad dragon appears inside the home of New Warfang's leader._

"_WE ARE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE!"_

_Danielle holds up her paw with anger, and looks back at her husband showing the rage that is building further._

"_Get her out of here now Ajax..." She barks with authority, then returns her eyes to the sentry guard standing before her in fear. "...and you get yourself together!"_

_Ajax quickly pecks his wife upon the cheek, and whispers his love into her ear before running outside to gain flight. The blue dragoness smiles slightly, seeing her husband and daughter leaving harms path, before returning an angered scowl to the armored dragon._

"_How many are coming Terrance?" She asks, and the Earth dragon's fear-filled eyes answer before his shaky voice._

"_There are millions of them Master..." He replies, looking back towards the balcony, and recalling the sickening view of the swarm of Raptors coming over the horizon. _

"_...much more than we can handle!" _

* * *

"I was so terrified when my dad made it outside where I could see what was coming..." Mya remarks with a somber voice, recalling the moment her eyes caught view of the approaching horde of vicious creatures. "...However it was the look in my dad's eyes that made me feel worse."

Mya looks up at Cynder, Malefor, and the other two dragons that have joined them in the small portal station, as she continues to recall her part of history.

"My dad was always as solid as a rock, which was odd since he was a fire dragon like me..." Mya continues with a slight grin, recalling the one dragon she misses the most, and the look on his face that always sits in the back of her mind.

"...but even he couldn't hold back his emotions."

Mya takes a deep breath, and looks down at the small orange ottsel that is holding her paw, trying to comfort her. However, she smiles as Daxter shows more fear in his eyes, and his cracking voice reflects it.

"Who was coming Mya?" He asks, gripping her claw tighter with fear, but before she can continue to talk about her past.

"The Raptorians!" Malefor replies, startling the young red dragoness' eyes to her ancestor.

"How did you know that?" She barks out with shock, and the large dragon just lowers his head with depression, recalling the many books he read in the Library of Time, including hers.

"Because I read about what happened, Mya...so you don't have to remind yourself of that moment." He replies, returning his eyes to hers, and showing the pain he feels for her loss with just a glance.

Mya immediately begins to cry, as the thought is hard to break from, but is quickly comforted by the orange-red wing of Malefor, whom pulls her close to his side.

"I'm sorry about you father..." He remarks, grasping Mya in his large paws, and holding her tightly against his gold chest. "...I only wish I had known what was happening earlier."

"What happened Malefor?" asks the albino elder, but the large purple and gold dragon only gives a hard stare.

"NO, my friend. I am not going to talk about it with her in the room...understand!"

The old spirit dragon suddenly smiles, as Malefor's aura brightens with a red glow, showing the same colors that Spyro gives off when defending his sons.

"She has been through so much already, and I will not subject this youngster to any more anguish, not until she is back in her mother's arms, and finally feels the comfort of her embrace."

Mya tightens her grip on Malefor, making his coloring change again, and Cyder smiles as well. She can see the near swirl of both dragon's spirits, as Mya and Malefor begin to bond in way that only family can.

"So how do we find her mother?" The Spirit Dragoness asks, looking at Malefor for an answer. "I have no know clue where this Conderoga System is...Do you?"

The large purple dragon watches Mya's head pop up from his chest, and he begins to nod his head up and down, however, before he can even move a muscle.

"I got the coordinates to that moon Commander!" Daxter barks out, sliding up to Cynder with a very smug grin on his face. "And it will only take a case of red wine and a case of white for me to find them for you."

Cynder turns to the tiny ottsel with rage in her eyes, and Daxter quickly cowers behind Jak's leg in fear.

"You better input them into the computer for her!" Jak replies, and moves out of the view of her stare, forcing Daxter to run over to the controls of the portal platform. He quickly opens a new rift in a matter of seconds, and Mya's eyes lock on the portal that changes in an instant, showing a vision she is all to familiar with.

"That's the Hollow Forest!" She barks out, and her tail begins wagging with excitement, seeing a place only five miles from her home. The young dragoness quickly rips herself from Malefor's tight grip, and bolt towards the portal, and her mother.

Malefor tries to grab Mya's tail before she gets to far, but is unable to catch the fast-moving youngster. Without warning, he fires a small stone projectile, missing Daxter's nose by an inch, and finding the kill button on the control panel.

The portal disappears as Mya reaches the threshold, and she is forced to slam her paws into the ground to stop from hitting the back wall.

"NO!" She cries, and looks back to the large dragon that stopped her reunion. "WHY?"

"She is not there anymore." Malefor remarks somberly, still staring at Mya as her emotions begin to change again.

"Where is she?" Mya replies with uneasiness, knowing her mother has never left the moon since they arrived there six years earlier.

Malefor can see the pain of this roller-coaster of emotions are taking their toll on her, but his next words are only going to make things worse. He slowly strides over to Mya, and grasps her by the paws. He lifts her gently to his face, showing his eyes are strong and filled with conviction.

"The only reason I am going to tell you the truth, is because I want you to believe in what I say, and I can only do that by gaining your trust." he says, and tightens his hold on Mya, knowing she is about to become unnerved.

"Your mother went looking for the pirate that took you, however, the information she was given, has lead her to Raptoria."

Mya gasps and her body begins to shutter, however, Malefor tightens his grip to the point his talons being digging into her scales. The pain snaps her attention back to his purple eyes, which quickly disappear, showing her nothing but the white fury within them.

"I swear before the great ancestor himself..." he says with a growling voice, as his scales turn black. However, Malefor relieves all the tension in his grip, holding his granddaughter with gentle paws, and allowing Mya to see the power he has is well controlled.

"...I will get her back for you, and I will make them pay for what they have done to my family."

Mya stares into the white eyes of Malefor, and through the rage and fury, can still see fear and love, just like her mother.

She lowers her head against the gold scales of Malefor, and listens to the rhythm of a familiar heart within his chest, knowing things she was told in the past were all wrong.

"I trust you!" She says with conviction, grasping tightly to her family, and holding an ear against the gold scales of his chest harder.

Malefor returns to normal in a flash of pure emotions, and he stares at Cynder with bewilderment.

"She has found answers inside her heart, my old friend..." The Spirit Dragon replies to his thoughts, as his aura shows so much more then his tear-filled eyes.

"...and within yours."

Silence fills the room, but there is nothing uncomfortable about it, as Malefor continues to hold his only true family member close, and feeling the stability return to the young red dragoness. However, that peace is suddenly broken by the voice of reason.

"Your Majesty...you cannot leave Avalar." Diamond remarks, placing a paw upon his friend's side, and reminding the large dragon of his duty.

"Regardless of the crown Volteer is wearing, you are still the King by law, and are not permitted to leave this world. You know that!"

Malefor doesn't even hesitate before his voice shows his priorities are straight.

"Then I hereby abdicate my throne!"

Diamond balks at the notion, knowing his friend has always valued this title as a way to repay the dragon race for his actions of darkness. However, Cynder sees it differently, and shows a grand smile upon her face. As a mother, she knows the love of her children is above anything else, and that is something that Diamond has never had in life.

"Who will you be naming for a replacement, King Malefor?" she asks with an authoritative tone, rising upon her hind legs, and placing a paw upon Malefor's shoulder.

The purple dragon can see she is ready to accept his choice, and as the new Spirit Elder, is able to grant this order with two witnesses.

Malefor quickly snaps his eyes to Cynder's and pauses for a moment, before returning them to the young red dragon in his arms. A wide smile crosses his face, and his answer is given in the blink of Mya's reddish-purple eyes.

"Volteer would be a fine choice..." he begins to say, but quickly a voice breaks his decree.

"YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO ME MALEFOR!" Nightshade barks, unable to hold his tongue, as his best friend ruins his life in one word.

The black dragon stands up on his feet getting eye level with his larger friend, showing his fear of this choice. However, before Malefor can reply, two separate bolts of lightning slam down outside the opened portal door.

The sound startles everyone in the room, mostly Nightshade as he falls to his stomach, covering his head with his wings. The only exception, the king, whose eyes focus upon his real choice.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE?" Spyro barks at the group inside HIS portal station, quickly followed by his higher ranked son.

"DAXTER! If you made me leave my brother's birthday party for your profit...I'm gonna beat you senseless!" He yells, and the orange ottsel's eyes fill with fear, quickly running from his superior's view.


End file.
